


Luffa: The Legendary Super Saiyan

by Mike_Smith



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Major Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-03
Updated: 2018-04-30
Packaged: 2018-05-31 00:14:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 86
Words: 346,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6447730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mike_Smith/pseuds/Mike_Smith
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One thousand years before Son Goku's victory over Frieza, there was another Saiyan who achieved the legendary power of the Super Saiyan.  Who was this ancient warrior, whose deeds and accomplishments were lost to history?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: This story features characters and concepts based on Dragon Ball, which is a trademark of Bird Studio/Shueisha and Toei Animation. this is an unauthorized work, and no profit is being made on this work by me. This story is copyright of me. Download if you like, but please don’t archive it without my permission. Don’t be shy.
> 
> Continuity Note: About 1000 years before the events of Dragon Ball Z.
> 
> Content Warning: It's a Dragon Ball story, so this gets pretty bloody in some places. I don't know what constitutes "Graphic Depictions of Violence", but if you're on the fence about that sort of thing, you probably want to move along.

**_[6 July 237 Before Age.   Vedev III]_ **

The annual Slaughter of the Wyvern had gotten completely out of control, as planned.  
  
It was a Saiyan tradition on Vedev III, which the native Vedevians tolerated mostly because they had little choice in the matter.  The Saiyan population was less than fifty, but any four of them could have annihilated the Vedevians within a week’s time, so they tended to get their way.  
  
But the Vedevians were a practical people, and they found it simpler to go with the flow.  Better to supply a Vedevian Wyvern for the Saiyans’ amusement, and let their destructive tendencies cancel each other out.  
  
Of course, the Wyvern itself wasn’t necessarily a match for _all_ of the Saiyans, and so the festival usually descended into a free-for-all, with Saiyans battling each other over who would get the privilege of fighting the Wyvern.  
  
In the midst of this chaos, a handful of Saiyans sat at a bench in front of a food cart and enjoyed the atmosphere.  
  
“Better than anything on Planet Saiya, right?” bellowed a hulking brute with an ugly scar running down the side of his face.  It was his most becoming feature.  
  
“I liked last year better,” grumbled a short, stocky Saiyan with a mustache like a pushbroom. “They couldn’t get an adult Wyvern so they sent three juveniles instead.  Made things more interesting.”  
  
A woman on the end of the bar said nothing.  She simply stared sullenly into her drink.  Her furry brown tail hung limply on her lap.  Unlike the others, who wore the green leather tunics common to the Saiyans of Vedev, the woman wore baggy white pants, and a fitted top with light armor plating on the chest and shoulders.  
  
“Haven’t seen you around, stranger!” called a tall, lanky man from the opposite end.  "I’m Rotcar.  Big guy’s Zottle.  Short one’s my uncle, Sharrid.”  
  
The woman gave only a slight nod in response.  
  
“Not interested in the festival, huh?” Sharrid asked.  "Trust me, if they had listened to me and brought _five_ juvenile Wyverns, that woulda gotten your heart racing.  But nobody listens to me…“  
  
"I’m just passing through,” the woman said.  "I’m looking for someone.  A Saiyan man.“  
  
"Oh is _that_ all?” Rotcar laughed.  "Well, I’ve done my part for King Revahls’ population mandate, but I’m always happy to go the extra mile!“  
  
She looked at him with an eerie smile.  There was a sparkle in her eye, but it wasn’t quite what Rotcar had in mind.   "The Saiyans here are loyal to King Rehval?” she asked.  There was more than a trace of accusation to her tone.  
  
“Well, not… I mean, I wasn’t trying to get political,” Rotcar stammered.  "It was just a joke, you know?  His ‘majesty’ keeps fretting about the Saiyan birthrate, and I only know one cure for _that_ problem, am I right?  Heh-heh…“  
  
"He means _sex_ , girlie,” Zottle announced with a knowing grin.  
  
“You’re not helping, pal,” Rotcar muttered under his breath.  
  
“Well I _don’t_ ,” the woman growled.  "Not _today_ , at least, and certainly not with any of King Rehval’s _lapdogs_.“  She turned her head and spit, then looked back to her drink.  I’m after one of his cronies.  And when I find him, I mean to _contribute_ to the population problem by removing him from it.”  
  
She looked over to Zottle and offered him a knowing grin to match his.  "I mean _murder_ ,“ she explained, matter-of-factly.  
  
"Hey, maybe we got off on the wrong foot,” Sharrid offered.  He tended to assume he was the weakest Saiyan in any conversation, because he was usually right.  "My nephew’s a little salacious, but he doesn’t mean any harm.  Planet Vedev has relations with Saiya.  The embassy might give you a bead on him–“  
  
The woman snorted with contempt.  "I’ve _been_ to the embassy, and they suggested I look _here_.  A needle among a stack of needles.  I might as well blow up the entire planet, but I want him to know it was _me_ , that he couldn’t _hide_.”

“Blow up the planet?” Sharrid gasped.  There were Saiyans on Vedev who could potentially do such a thing, but not many, and none of them made light of such power.  Even the strongest Saiyans needed air to breathe and food to eat.  Destroying a planet was tantamount to murder-suicide.

“Hey, what did this guy do to get on your bad side, lady?” Rotcar asked.  “If you want to give this guy a scare, why don’t you tackle the Wyvern?  You’ll get everyone’s attention and maybe work out some of that anger while you’re at it.”  
  
The woman turned around on her stool to look back at the battle.   Fifteen Saiyans were busy fighting one another, while another three were darting around the Wyvern, trying to avoid it’s claws and fiery breath as it thrashed around.  Her eyes narrowed, and she turned around to look at her drink again.  
  
“Too easy,” she said.  
  
“Whoa, get a load of _this one_ ,” Zottle laughed.  "Rolls into the Festival and acts like she’s the strongest life form on the planet.   Trust me, girlie, you wouldn’t last out there.“  He got up and leaned his head towards her, pointing at his face.  "How do you think I got this scar?”  
  
She stared into his eyes and smiled. “You probably put your nose too close to something dangerous,” she said.  
  
The others laughed, and Zottle decided to return to his seat.  "Well if you’re such hot stuff, go out and show us!“ he thundered.  
  
"Wait, I get it now,” Rotcar said.  "You’re trying to find Luffa!“  
  
"Oh don’t be stupid, kid,” Sharrid said.  "The ‘Super Saiyan’ is a hoax.  Luffa is just some jacked up alien creep trying to manipulate us _real_ Saiyans.  That’s the only reason King Rehval puts up with him.  They both want to control us any way they can.“  
  
He turned to the woman and shook his head.  "Besides, the jerk would never show his face _here_.  Luffa might have some fancy powers, but he couldn’t stand up to fifty _genuine_ Saiyans!”  
  
“So they’ve heard of the Super Saiyan, even all the way out here,” the woman mused.  
  
“Sure, Rotcar said.  He destroyed a planet and killed a Saiyan mercenary.   Of course he had to be sneaky about it to pull it off.  But now people think Luffa is the strongest Saiyan of all, because they don’t know it’s all fake.”  
  
“I still say Rehval’s behind it,” Shaddir grumbled. “He’ll probably send one of his goons to Vedev in a blonde wig and try to convince us to worship him or something.”  
  
The woman sighed.  "See, I heard it a different way.  _I_ heard the Super Saiyan is real.“  
  
"Real?!” Shaddir gasped.  "Saiyans don’t transform into… into… _shiny golden things_.  They just don’t.  Even if they could, all they’d want to do is fight, not sneak around.  If this Luffa guy were legit, he’d be killing everyone in his path, like a wild animal.“  
  
"Well it just so happens the Super Saiyan isn’t a fool,” the woman concluded.  "Besides, he’s a _she_.  And she isn’t stuck in the transformed state.  She can change back, and walk among her own kind without being noticed.“  
  
"That’s bull, girlie,” Zottle scoffed.  "Everyone knows a female Saiyan could never become that strong.  All the strongest Saiyan heroes in the old stories are men!“  
  
"And why would a Super Saiyan want to change back to normal anyway?” Rotcar asked. “I wouldn’t.”  
  
“Oh, I don’t know,” the woman said. “Maybe she wants to keep a low profile because she’s looking for someone.  A miserable coward, perhaps, who would turn tail and run at the sight of her.”  
  
The men exchanged worried glances with one another.  
  
Rotcar tried to play it cool, in spite of the beads of sweat forming on his forehead “Wait, are you trying to say _you’re_ this Luffa character?”  
  
“I’m trying to say,” she said patiently, “that maybe you should think very hard about who you’ve seen pass through this place.  Because I’ll be asking around in a few minutes, and I want you to have a chance to gather your thoughts.”  
  
“Okay, that’s enough!” Zottle yelled, leaping up from his stool.  "I don’t know what your game is, girlie, but I _killed_ the Wyvern at the festival a few years back.  And I killed a dozen Saiyans to win the right. You think you can come here and tell ghost stories and psyche me out because I’m a little thick, right?  Well maybe I’m not as smart as Rotcar and Sherrid, but I know I’m more than a match for _you_.“  
  
The woman got up from her own stool and regarded the big man with cold, predatory eyes.  "Is that your answer then?” she asked cheerfully.  "I needed to make an example out of someone, and I want to he sure that person didn’t have any useful information.“  
  
Zottle wanted to tell her to stuff it, and his companions were about to warn him that this was no ordinary Saiyan female.  They didn’t know what her secret was, but they had decided it was no bluff.  But before any of them could react, they were engulfed in a golden light.  
  
When it had faded, the woman remained before them, but her black hair now glowed an unearthly yellow, and her once dark eyes now burned with a furious green.  A golden aura flashed and pulsed across her body.  
  
The other Saiyans at the festival all stopped whatever they were doing and turned to see what had happened.  Even the Wyvern, imperiled as it was, forgot itself, and gave in to curiosity.  
  
Luffa stood passively before them all.  Without warning, she threw a left punch into Zottle’s abdomen.  It wasn’t enough to kill him, but he immediately dropped to the ground and gasped in pain.  
  
"I’m looking for someone,” she shouted for all to hear.  "You’re _all_ going to tell me what you know.  I’ll know if you’re lying.  And if you resist me… well…“ she gestured to the massive Saiyan laying at her feet.  
  
"It’s Luffa,” cried one of the Saiyans in the crowd.  
  
“Kill the impostor!” cried another.  The sentiment seemed to carry throughout the mob.  
  
Luffa smiled and raised her hand to beckon them toward her.  
  
Beyond the crater where the Saiyans held their festival, Vedevian shepherds reported hearing the sounds of a full-scale battle.  But what had disturbed them most, they all said, was the sound they heard just before the combat began: a blood-curdling laugh from a single Saiyan woman.

 


	2. Chapter 2

_**[6 March, 238 Before Age.  Dorlu Prime]** _

“Stop her!  She’s just one woman!”

And indeed she was.  In the dusty patch of land that made up the “town square” of the Colony of Dorlu Prime, one woman stood alone against fifty of Dorlu’s strongest warriors.  Their arms and armor were backward and unsophisticated, and they were only warriors by necessity; there was no one else among them more qualified for the role.  But they wielded their meager equipment with pride and skill, and against a single unarmed adversary, the odds still should have been in their favor.  

But the Dorluns knew better. “Just one” was not a statement of tactical supremacy, but a reminder of their one glimmer of hope.  Their only advantage was their number, and so they surrounded her, taking care not to get in each other’s way.  A dozen of them formed an inner perimeter around the woman, while the rest took up positions in an outer ring.  Of these, some soldiers readied themselves to enter the inner circle if their comrades fell, and the rest aimed their plasma rifles overhead, just in case their enemy tried to escape skyward.  

From the windows of the buildings surrounding the square, other colonists had stopped what they were doing and watched the battle with fascination.  A few children clapped with glee, and any of them who had parents or older siblings in the band of warriors beamed with pride.  

As for the lone woman–now literally the center of attention–she made no move to escape or defend herself.  She simply scanned the wall of Dorlun flesh and materiel, and a menacing grin twisted across her face.   They wouldn’t make the first move; they knew better than that.  So she savored the moment as long as she felt reasonable, then spun around, grabbed a man at random, and flung him straight up into the air.  

“Hold fire!” shouted one of the men in the outer perimeter.  The eleven on the inside went on the offensive, each of them attacking at random intervals.  One tried to tackle her from behind while another brandished a Dorlun machete to distract her.  A third leveled his pistol, seeking to use the diversion to give himself time to make sure he didn’t his his comrades.  The others made false moves, trying to confuse her into expecting a mass assault.  

But the woman had arranged her own diversion.  The man she had thrown into the air came down on top of three of his fellows, including the one with the pistol.  She rolled with the tackle, and tossed her assailant aside effortlessly.  The one with the knife decided to follow through, but she simply caught the blade as he struck.  For a moment their eyes met, and her smile widened.  Without releasing the knife or looking away, she swung out her free arm and swatted down a woman who had come at her from behind.  

It went on this way for several minutes.  The woman occasionally took a hit, but this only seemed to encourage her.  The pace of the battle increased, but the Dorluns never took the initiative.  One by one they fell to the ground, and yet their discipline held.  They never broke ranks, they never panicked, they never abandoned their strategy.  Finally, only one Dorlun woman remained, and she stood her ground and took aim with her rifle, but the enemy simply yanked it out of her hands and shoved her to the ground.  

“Time!” she bellowed to one of the onlookers in the square.  

“Eleven minutes, forty-three seconds!” said a Dorlun civilian holding a timepiece. 

“Well done!” she said with a laugh.  She walked over to the Dorlun woman she had just knocked down and held out her hand.  "You should feel proud, Captain Zatte.  You Dorluns have come a long way!“  

Zatte took her hand, but instead of being helped up to her feet, she was simply yanked upwards until she was in a standing position.  Despite all of their training exercises, she still hadn’t gotten used to the other woman’s awesome strength.  

"Don’t patronize me, Luffa,” she grumbled.  "As it stands, Dorlun Prime can’t even defend itself for more than twelve minutes against an alien invader.“  

Luffa turned her head and spit.  "Against a _Saiyan_ you mean.  Trust me, you wouldn’t even last that long if we were enemies, and my father could probably destroy this entire continent if he set his mind to it.  Lucky for you, the Tikosi are the ones you have to worry about.  And one of those sniveling worms wouldn’t have the courage to walk into your settlement alone and unarmed.”

“And yet they still manage to keep your father rather busy, don’t they?” Zatte said.  "How long have you been here, Luffa?  You and Orij and that shifty-looking man who follows him around?“

"Hey, that’s no way to talk about my betrothed,” Luffa said with mock indignation.  "And I suppose it’s been five years.  What about it?“

"Five years,” Zatte muttered.  "And for all the power of the Saiyans, the Tikosi still keep coming back to our world hoping to take what’s ours.  They may be ‘sniveling worms’, Luffa, but they’re certainly not afraid of Saiyans, and we Dorluns are no match for either of you.“

Luffa was confused by her words, but Zatte turned away before she could ask what she meant.  Instead, she called her troops to order and dismissed them to the dining hall for the afternoon meal.   And so Luffa decided the Dorluns were merely flustered from hunger.  Their spirits would pick up after a good meal, and she knew just the thing…

*******

* * *

An Imeckian scientific expedition had explored Dorlun Prime centuries ago, and when they first encountered its apex predator, a large bipedal reptile with six-inch claws and rows of sharp teeth, they named it ” _Colodessas maetren_ “, which in the ancient Imeckian tongue translated into "Horrible monster”.  This taxonomic nomenclature had died with the expedition, however, as they had unwittingly made their camp on a _Colodessas_ mating ground just in time for brooding season.  But the Imeckians were eventually avenged.  When Luffa arrived on Dorlun Prime, she began to hunt _C. maetren_ for sport.  Ignorant of their Imeckian nomenclature, the young Saiyan merely called the creatures “delicious”.  

In her youth, hunting had been a monumental task, but as she approached her 19th year, she took great pride in being able to fly out of the settlement, track her prey, and have it back in time to butcher and cook before the daily training exercises.  It was her custom to serve “delicious” whenever Captain Zatte’s troops performed well.  And in spite of Zatte’s bitter attitude, Luffa was genuinely pleased with their progress.  The Dorlun troops had earned their meal like Saiyans, even if their mood prevented them from enjoying it.  

While the soldiers had all changed into civilian clothing–simple cloth tunics and pants–Luffa continued to wear the uniform she had worn when she fought them.  The yellow pants were baggy and tucked into a pair of black boots.  The top was a sleeveless fitted shirt.  It had been black at one time, but years of constant use had discolored the fabric into blue.  Of course, the dusty plains of Dorlun colony and Luffa’s indifference to laundry had made the color of her clothes somewhat academic.  The barren, dusty land had a color like buffed leather, a match for Luffa’s skin that the Dorluns found appropriate.  Their culture associated labor with earth, and they recognized the Saiyans as an industrious people.  When they weren’t fighting, they were hunting, or cooking, or eating, or training to fight again.  A Dorlun who spent all day in the fields would end up so covered in dust that his deep blue skin would be nearly invisible.  Their scarlet hair would turn black from sweat.   But Luffa’s skin was naturally dust colored, and her hair was black even when it was dry.  To the Dorlun eye she looked busy even when she was at rest.

As the Dorluns nibbled meticulously at their own meals, poking and prodding them with delicate metal utensils, she sat on the far end of the hall and tore bare-handed into the miniature feast she had arranged around her seat.  Invariably, the Dorlun children would finish first and wander over to her table to watch her eat.  

“You brats should finish your dinner,” Luffa warned them between bites.  "A half-hungry Dorlun’s no use to anybody.“

"We did,” said one of the older children.  "It was very good, Luffa.  You’re a good cook.“

"Well all right then,” Luffa mumbled.  "Pull up a chair if you want.“

Some of them took her invitation, but the youngest ones preferred to stand back and watch her at a distance, as if worried that she might accidentally gobble one of them up in her feeding frenzy.  

"How’d you learn to cook so good?” asked Liko.  He was about twelve, and was one of the few kids who were old enough to remember when the Saiyans had come to Dorlun Prime.  

“ _Hunger is the best seasoning_ ,” Luffa answered.  

“What’s that mean?” Liko asked.  

Luffa stopped eating for a moment and began coughing violently.  "Arrgh, sorry.  Went down the wrong pipe.  No, uh, it’s an old Saiyan proverb.  We don’t have a lot of 'em.  It means food tastes better the more you want it.  Cooking is a way to discipline the mind.  You force yourself to wait for the meal, and it tastes better when you finally eat it.  And if you get good at cooking, you can make it taste even better.“  She held up a slice of her dinosaur meat.  "Of course, these guys are pretty tasty raw, too.  You really can’t go wrong.”  

“You eat them _raw_!?” asked another boy.  His name was Edic, about eight years old.  

“The first time I killed one, I wasn’t much older than Liko over here,” Luffa explained.  It took me all day to track it down, and I wound up fighting it for an hour.  I was exhausted, and I didn’t have the strength to make it back to the settlement.  But I would have eaten it raw anyway.  It was the first one I’d eaten, so I wanted to know how it tasted before I went to the trouble of cooking.“

"Didn’t you get sick?” Edic asked.  "My dad says you can get sick eating stuff off the ground like that.“

"Nah, a lot of you other life forms have to watch out for that sort of thing, but a Saiyan can handle it,” Luffa bragged.  

“Weren’t you scared?” asked Keda, a nine year old girl.  Her green eyes were wide with terror, as though imagining how she would fare alone in the wilderness with nothing but a carcass for company.  

“Yeah, I bet the clutch birds started to circle over you,” Liko said.  "My mom said they always show up to eat dying animals.“

Luffa chuckled.  "Oh, yeah.  It’s been so long I forgot about them.  They _did_ give me some trouble that day.”  

“So what happened?!” Edic asked.  

Luffa smiled and patted her belly.  "I had 'em for dessert.“

The older children laughed at this, while some of the others were revolted at the idea of Luffa eating the ugly carrion-eaters like ice cream.  One of the smallest, a three-year-old boy named Necit, wandered over to Luffa’s chair and clung to one of its legs to balance himself.  He then waved his free hand around in a bid to grab hold of Luffa’s furry brown tail, which she had been waving absent-mindedly as she ate.

Luffa noticed this, and began moving the tip of her tail closer to encourage him.  "That’s the spirit, kid,” she said.  "You keep that up, and you’ll get big and strong.“

"Why do you have a tail, Luffa?” Keda asked.

“Because I’m a Saiyan,” Luffa said.  "Dorluns have blue skin, Saiyans have tails.“

"But your hair is black, and your tail is brown,” Keda asked.

“Dummy, that’s just 'cause her hair’s sweaty,” Edic said.

“No, Dorlun hair turns black when it’s wet,” Luffa corrected.  "Saiyan hair stays black.  It doesn’t grow either.“

” _Nuh-uh_ ,“ Edic said.  

” _Uh-huh_ ,“ Luffa said.  ” _A true Saiyan’s hair doesn’t change from the day she’s born._ That’s another Saiyan proverb.  I never really got what that means.  And there’s some half-breed Saiyans out there that can grow hair, but that’s their tough luck.“

"I think your tail is _pretty_ ,” Keda said.  

“If you say so, kid,” Luffa said.  She was more interested in her fried dumplings now.  

“It’s not _pretty_ ,” Edic said.  "I heard they use it to turn into _monsters_.“  He held up his hands and curled his fingers to look like claws for effect.  "That’s how you kill those dinosaurs in the wild, right, Luffa?”

“What?  No way,” Luffa said, somewhat confused by the question.  "I beat 'em up just like this.“  

Edic was clearly impressed to hear this, but he still wanted to know about the monsters.  "But why?” he asked.  "If _I_ could turn into a monster I’d be one all the time.“

"Look, first of all, I don’t turn into a 'monster’, squirt.  It’s called an ’ _oozaru_ ’.  An oozaru can kill like, _fifty_ monsters, probably.  But I can only transform when there’s a full moon.”

“What’s a 'moon’?” asked Llimi, a six-year old girl.

“Exactly,” Luffa grumbled.  "Dorlun has no moon, or at least not one big enough to trigger the transformation.  Besides, even if I could stay that way, how would I fit in the dining hall if I were a giant ape all the time?“

"Oh,” Edic said.  "But… but if you can’t transform, and you don’t really want to transform, what good is your tail?“

Luffa stared at him in disbelief, then laughed.  "Kid, you’re too much!”

Edic was frightened for a moment, until Luffa put down her food and put a gentle hand on his shoulder.  

“I forget sometimes that some people *don’t* have tails,” she said.  "From your point of view, it must seem weird.  I could cut it off and you probably wouldn’t look twice.  But you gotta understand, that’d be like if you decided to chop off one of your fingers.  Just because you’re not using it doesn’t mean it can’t be important to you.“

Edic glanced down at his fingers, then back to Luffa.  "But why is it important?” he asked.

“Because of what it represents,” she explained. “My tail is how people recognize me as a Saiyan.  It’s how _I_ know I’m a Saiyan, even when I’m all alone on an alien planet.”  She looked over to Keda.  "That’s why I wasn’t scared that day when I fought that dinosaur.  Because I knew a _Saiyan_ could handle it.  Let me show you brats something.“

She looked back on the little one, Necit, who was still happily grabbing for the tail that lay just out of reach.  Luffa brought it closer to the little boy, and snaked it around his chest.  She then lifted Necit up into the air, much to the child’s delight.  The other children were suitably impressed.

"See, there used to be a time when I couldn’t do this.  When I was little, my tail was the weakest part of my body.  Back then, if a tyke like this had so much as squeezed on it, I’d collapse.  Imagine me begging a baby Durlon for mercy!  Now I could still transform into an ape back then, so it was worth having, but it was also a huge liability.”

Luffa carefully lowered Necit to the floor, where he began petting Luffa’s tail as though it were a cat.  "That’s something every Saiyan has to go through, by the way.  The chumps of my race just deal with it.  They wrap their tails around their waists when they fight, because that way they can still turn into oozarus when they need to, but it’s much harder for an enemy to get in close and grab their tail.  But the _best_ Saiyans tackle the problem head-on.  They train their tails to get stronger.  It’s hard, and it’s painful, and it takes a long time, but in the end, you’re better off for it.“  

She looked back at Keda.  "So when I was all alone out there, I knew it wasn’t the hardest thing I’d ever done.  I had this,” she said, raising her tail for emphasis, “to remind me that my _greatest_ opponent has always been _myself_.  Don’t get me wrong.  I’m a weakling compared to my father and Kandai.  That’s why I stay here and train you guys instead of going on scouting missions with them.  But I’m still a Saiyan.  If I can’t take pride in that, I’m nothing.  Just like you kids have to be proud to be Dorluns.  Other people might look down on you, and maybe you’re not as tough, but you have to be the best you can be.”

The children seemed to take this message to heart.  Keda opened her mouth to ask another question, but it was an adult Dorlun who spoke.  

“I think you young ones have heard enough bloody tales of the Saiya for one evening,” said Coyto.  He was the governor of the colony, and the oldest of the Dorluns in the settlement.  "We have to let Madam Luffa rest so she can continue to defend our settlement.  Run along and find your parents, all right?“

The kids protested weakly, but they knew better than to defy the governor.  Coyto was a gentle man, but space colonization was a hard life, and those who lived it learned at an early age to follow orders.   By now, only a handful of Dorluns remained in the hall.  Most of them had finished eating and had gone about their business, leaving Luffa and Coyto alone.  

"You’re very good with the children,” he said, taking a seat across from her.  

She shrugged.  "They help me think is all.  My mother told me a lot of things when I was a girl, but it didn’t really sink in until I started explaining it to others.  If I give 'em any nightmares, well, maybe they ought to stay clear of me.“

"We’ve been fending off Tikosi invasions for years,” Coyto said.  "We’re living in a nightmare, whether they realize it or not.  At least you Saiyan mercenaries give them something to stimulate their imaginations besides fear.“  

"Those kids have heart.  I can feel it,” Luffa said.  "You heard about the training exercise today, right?“

"Almost twelve minutes,” Coyto said.  "Those three words have dominated every conversation in the settlement today.  No offense, Madam Saiyan, but could you be losing your touch?  Time was, you could lick a squad of Dorluns in less than five.“

"I get a little stronger every time I fight your people,” Luffa said.  "Don’t misunderstand me, that’s the only reason I even do this.  Yeah, I held back, but only because it doesn’t do me any good to damage your people or their equipment.  But they’re still gaining on me.  I can tell.“

"I wish Captain Zatte shared your optimism,” Coyto sighed.  "She’s recommended that we demobilize our troops and pursue a non-military alternative.

“ _What?!_ ” Luffa demanded.  "You can’t seriously consider surrendering to those _spineless_ –“

"With respect, Madam Saiyan,” Coyto said, “When my people’s survival is at stake, I can 'seriously consider’ a great deal.  I appreciate your position.  You don’t train us out of compassion or the 'kindness of your heart’.  You do it because you need the exercise.  I respect this, so long as our interests coincide.  But as we respect the way of the Saiyan, you must also understand the way of the _Dorlun_.  We do not crave battle for its own sake.  We will fight as needed, but we may also capitulate as needed.  Or retreat.  Or hide.  Or negotiate.  Or whatever else we must do to survive.”

Luffa closed her eyes and smiled bitterly.  "You have a point. If your people were like Saiyans, you never would have hired us in the first place.  Still, the thought of a Dorlun surrender turns my stomach…“

"Perhaps, but I have heard that a Saiyan stomach can handle it,” Coyto said.  "You see great potential in little Keda, fine.  But potential for what?  Will we still be fighting this war when she grows up?  Will she know any other way of life?  Yes, we Dorluns might become capable warriors, but only with Saiyans to show us the way.  Do you truly plan to train us for a generation or more?  Will your children settle here among us?  Perhaps Keda might marry one of your sons, and produce one of those half-breeds you spoke of earlier?

“A grandchild who needs haircuts,” Luffa said aloud, as though trying the idea on for size.  "Would she have a tail?  Would she have to ask me what a 'moon’ is?“

"Nothing is final yet, of course.  Your father contacted me earlier, and reports he is returning to the settlement tomorrow.  I would like to discuss our strategic situation with him before making any decisions, but unless he reports a significant change in Tikosi activity, I believe we will have to end our business relationship.  I just thought you would like to know.”

“Yeah.  Well, thanks.  I should probably get things ready for when they get here.”

“Naturally.  Good morrow, Madam Saiyan.”

Coyto left her alone in the hall, and Luffa found herself staring at the pile of bones on her plate.

**NEXT: The Big Picture**


	3. Chapter 3

**_[7 March, 237 Before Age]_ **

 

“We can use this to our advantage!  If the Tikosi expect capitulation, they won’t expect an _ambush_!  We can end the war in one stroke!”

Orij had spent the last several minutes updating the flight log of his spacecraft.  At last he looked up at his daughter Luffa and raised a skeptical eyebrow.  

“ _Our_ advantage?” he asked. “We’re mercenaries, girl.  We don’t have a stake in this planet’s fate.  If the Dorluns want to terminate our contract, they’re entitled to do so.”

“Yes! But if we crush the Tikosi _first_ , we come out of this looking much more successful,” Luffa argued.  "Mercenaries who _fight_ wars get paid.  Mercenaries who _win_ wars get paid _more_!“  

Orij made a contemptuous snort.  "Girl, if I believed any of that, I would have ‘crushed’ the Tikosi on the first day.”

“What?!” Luffa gasped.  "But, Father, you’ve never been able to track them well enough for that.“  

Orij laughed.  "Luffa, you gullible child.  I’ve had nearly constant telemetry on the Tikosi fleet from the day we entered this system.  They don’t know that, which is the only reason they’ve been playing cat and mouse with me for the last five years.  The Dorluns don’t know it either, or they wouldn’t have kept paying our fee for so long.  I suspect that one side may have wised up and opened negotiations.  They won’t confront us over it, because they know I have the power to destroy _both_ sides.”

“Then where have you and Kandai been _going_ all this time?!” Luffa demanded.  "Why wouldn’t you take me with you, if you weren’t–?“

Orij was on his feet before she could see him move.  It was as if he had still been sitting on his bunk in one instant, and in the very next he had struck her face with the back of his hand.  

"Have a care, girl,” he snarled.  "I’m the strongest of this band, and what I say goes.  Or have you forgotten?“

She looked up at him with barely concealed resentment and rubbed her cheek with her hand.  "No,” she said after a long pause.  

“Good.  For your information, Kandai and I have been scouting other planets for future work.  Unlike you, I happen to understand that our arrangement on Dorlu Prime couldn’t last forever.  The Tikosi you’re so eager to 'crush’ have other enemies in this region of space.  If we run them out of the sector, it would end more than a dozen armed conflicts, and eliminate just as many potential clients.  For that matter, the Tikosi themselves might decide to hire us some day, but not if we overplay our hand.  If they realize just how powerful Kandai and I are, they may decide we’re too dangerous to employ.”

Luffa scrambled back to her feet and regarded her father.  "If you really feel that way about it, Father, then why don’t we just go back to Planet Saiya?  Wasn’t this the sort of rhetoric we were trying to get away from?“

"My only problem with King Revahl’s operation is that _he’s_ in charge of it,” Orij explained.  "Out here, _I’m_ the strongest warrior in a thousand light-year radius, and I don’t have to share the profits or show obeisance to some miserable dandy on the homeworld.  Yes, the King is an honorless jackal, a betrayal of everything we true Saiyans hold dear. But that’s not why Saiyans refuse to work for him, Luffa.  Our people aren’t nearly as principled as you’d like to think.  We don’t work for him because we don’t need him, at least not nearly as much as _he_ needs _us_.“

Luffa threw up her hands in defeat.  She wanted to test her mettle, but no one else wanted to fight.  "What’s our next move, then?” she asked.  

“I haven’t decided yet,” Orij shrugged.  

“Father, I’m _bored_ ,” Luffa said, trying her best not to whine.  "You two are gone so often and for so long that I’ve had to spar with the locals just to get a decent workout.  There’s only so many ways I can season tailsteak and now you tell me guarding the settlement was a waste of time.“

"Your battle strength isn’t high enough to put you on the front line, girl,” Orij began, but Luffa cut him off.  

“I know all of that,” Luffa said.  "But from what you’re telling me fighting isn’t even our top priority anymore.  Let’s find a war that’s on my own level.   You and Kandai can monitor my progress, or one of you can follow up on other jobs.“

Orij scratched the patch of black hair that covered his pointed chin. "Maybe… But I don’t like the idea of splitting up the team.”

“We’ve been splitting up for the last year now, father,” Luffa countered.  "Except you’ve been keeping a third of your team in reserve.  At least drop me off someplace with some opportunity.“  

He sighed and rolled his eyes.  "All right, talk it over with Kandai.  If he’s okay with it, we’ll try it out.  I suppose you’re old enough to take on more responsibility.”

But she had already opened the door of his quarters to leave.  "You won’t regret this, Father!  I promise!“

Once she was out of sight, Orij smiled.  "No, girl, _I_ won’t regret it.  But _you_ might.  Just like your mother…”

********

* * *

“There was this Deathmatch Tournament on Plutark VII.  The pot is a million credits.  I didn’t think much of it at the time, but it might be just the thing for you, Luffa.”

“Sounds interesting,” Luffa said.  You and Father can pick me up on your way back from the Phoris Cluster, or wherever it is you planned on going.“

As excited as she had been to discuss her proposal with Kandai, there were other priorities to consider.  After a meal, they retired to their quarters, and an hour after that, she told him what she wanted to do.  Kandai tended to vacillate whenever Orij left decisions to him, but Luffa knew her mate well, and he was much more inclined to see things her way after he’d been fed, watered and bedded, usually in that order.  Now, when he lay comfortably in his bunk, she snuggled in close and lay her head on his shoulder so she could read his datapad as he scrolled through various bounties and leads.

"For what it’s worth, I agree with you about the Tikosi,” he offered.  It was an empty gesture, since Kandai couldn’t overrule Orij’s decision any more than she could, but at least he was telling her what she wanted to hear.  

“Oh?” she said, curling her finger through his chest hair.  

“Your dad is right on one count.  We don’t want to alienate them as potential clients, _but_ they’re not the kind to hold grudges about a military loss.  If we hit them hard on Dorlu Prime, they’d recognize us as a force to be reckoned with in this sector.  They’d pay handsomely to have us on _their_ side in their next campaign, if only to keep us out of their hair.  As it currently stands, we’re just a minor nuisance to them.  They just have to wait for our clients to run out of money or patience.”

“But why can’t Father see it that way?” Luffa asked.  "Strong as he is, it’s strange how he avoids a direct confrontation.  I get it, we want a steady paycheck, but I thought that was just to cover expenses between the real fights, like that Kublaisk you tackled when I was a kid.“

Kandai chuckled at that memory.  His chest still bore three parallel scars where the Kublaisk tagged him that day.  Their mercenary careers had paid for his hospital treatment, as well as the celebration feast they held afterward.  

"Orij sees the universe as an infinite sandbox to play in,” he said.  We’ve got our whole lives ahead of us, and he’s in no hurry to pass up a good job to pursue a real challenge.  If we settled down somewhere, then yeah, he’d probably want to consolidate his holdings, and make sure we were all strong enough to defend ourselves.  But he’s a reaver, not a conqueror.  As long as there’s open space ahead of him, he doesn’t really have to stand his ground.“

"What if _we_ challenged him, Kandai?” Luffa asked.

“He’d pound us into the ground, that’s what,” Kandai scoffed.  "What’s gotten into you, Luffa?  You used to be content to stay home and wait for us with dinner, and now you’re hellbent on fighting anyone who gets in your way.“

"I just want a little action, that’s all,” Luffa said.  "Who doesn’t?“

"Sure, but a direct attack on the Tikosi fleet?  The final round of a Deathmatch tournament?  Throwing hands with your old man?  That’s more than just a 'little’ action, Luffa.”  

She took a deep breath.  "I’ve been spending a lot of time with the Dorluns.  No one else to talk to while you’re gone, you know.“

"Sure.”

“Among other Saiyans, I’m small fry.  But these people think I’m something special, Kandai.  From their perspective, we’re all so far beyond them in power that the difference between us is insignificant.  It just… well, it changes the way you look at yourself, I guess.  Like I want to go out there and be all those things they think a Saiyan is.”

“I guess that makes sense,” Kandai said.  His tone was more indifferent than nonchalant.  Luffa didn’t necessarily expect him to care.  They were mates, not confidants.  It was enough that she could tell him such things, even if he was only half-listening.  

Still, there was one matter for which she had to insist upon his attention.  "So when is this tournament?“

*******

* * *

**_[March 12, 238 Before Age.   Plutark VII]_ **

Luffa woke up on a stretcher in a dimly lit room.  She slowly recognized it as the official medical facility of the Deathmatch Tournament.  After all, she had been here several times before.  

"Lie still,” commanded a hulking creature from across the room.  "I need to scan you before clearing you for the next round.“

She wanted to jump to her feet and defy this caretaker, but she had already grow bored with that from her previous visits.  The bio-medical gel he applied to her wounds had kept her alive so far, but there wasn’t time for a proper treatment, and her injuries were beginning to pile up faster than the gel could keep up.  And so she began to respect the creature’s orders, galling as it was.  Best to save her defiance for her opponent.  

The doctor raised three of his eight limbs and began operating a device mounted above Luffa’s stretcher.  "I don’t know what manner of beast you are, little mammal,” he said, “but the tournament committee is impressed with your performance.  That’s not a compliment, mind you, at least not from me.  In my line of work, we tend to view people like you as lunatics.”

“How bad was it?” Luffa asked.  

“The Tzarlax?  He nearly gutted you.  That’s six you owe me, little mammal.  Six rounds, and six times I’ve pulled you back from certain death.”

Luffa put her hand on her stomach and felt a thin trail of scar tissue.   It was either the Tzarlax’s handiwork, or the doctor had found it necessary to perform surgery.  She smiled.

“You may get up now.  I’ve been informed that you received a bye for Round Seven, so I’d like to take this opportunity to apply more bio-medical gel.  Unless you had somewhere more important to go.”

Luffa sat up on the stretcher and shrugged.  "You’re the boss,“ she said.  It hurt to move, but she felt a lot better than when she had come in.  She was starting to get hungry, but that would have to wait.  

The caretaker reached for his bloated abdomen and withdrew a thin line of silk, which he meticulously wound around Luffa’s left forearm.  With each pass, he carefully dabbed the gel onto her skin before covering it with his webbing.  It was a very alien medical practice, but Luffa couldn’t dispute its effectiveness.  

"Why do you persist in this sort of behavior?” the doctor asked as he worked.  "Gambling debts?  Suicidal tendencies?  A masochistic religious ethos?  It defies all logic for a creature as fragile as you to subject yourself to this kind of punishment.“  

She looked at him and grinned.  "You should have seen the other guys,” she gloated.  

“I have, my dear,” the creature replied.  "I’m in charge of the morgue as well as the infirmary.  My species only sleeps for an hour a day.  Very good for one’s career.  Tell me, what did that reptilloid do to deserve having his arms pulled off?“

Luffa rolled her eyes as she struggled to remember.  "Oh, right, he called me a monkey.  Free advice: don’t ever call a Saiyan that.  You’ve got a lot more arms than he did.  It’d go much worse for you.”

“Duly noted,” the doctor said.  "But at least _he_ had a very durable frame.  I’ve seen men of his race withstand plasma rifles at pointblank range.  Yet you fought him toe-to-toe, even though your were far more vulnerable.  And your next opponent will be stronger still.“

He began wrapping up Luffa’s ribs, and she felt a tremendous relief even as the gel contacted her skin.  

"I’ll let you in on a little secret, doctor.. uh…?”

“Topsas, little mammal.  Doctor Topsas,” he said.  

"Right.  I’ll let you in on a little secret: All of this is practice.”

“Practice?” Topsas asked.  Whatever for?”

She swung her feet around and carefully took a standing position.  She held up her hands and balled them into fists, turning her head from side to side as if examining them for defects.  Then she threw a punch.  

“I believe you’re supposed to do that in the arena,” Topsas said dryly.  "I’ve heard that it’s more effective when one’s opponent is present receive the blow.“

She ignored him, and continued throwing punches into the air.  "Much better,” she muttered to herself.  "I could kiss that Tzarlax if I hadn’t blasted a hole through his ugly face.“

“Charming,” Topsas muttered.  He held one of his hands up to his fuzzy pedipalps and removed some loose webbing.   “And they tell me _my_ species is unsettling.”

"I’m practicing to fight a war, doc,” she said, finally looking back to answer his question.  "See, when a Saiyan recovers from near-fatal injuries, her strength increases dramatically.  The more banged up I get, the worse off it gets for my next opponent.“  

Topsas’s eight eyes widened with renewed interest.  "Indeed?  Quite incredible, little mammal.  I have never heard of such a trait.  Your people must have evolved under harsh conditions indeed.”  

“Maybe.  My kind doesn’t have much use for scientists, so we wouldn’t know,” she said.  

“Then… your people have never truly explored the limits of this ability?” he asked.  "Think about it.  My bio-medical gels and web bandages can heal a person much more quickly than conventional medicine.  And there are more advanced technologies beyond this.  If your people were to avail themselves of it, they could increase their strength to unprecedented levels in a very short time.“

"That sounds kind of morbid, actually,” Luffa said.  "Besides, the only Saiyans worthy of that kind of power are the ones willing to go out and find battles dangerous enough to test their endurance.  You’d never find a Saiyan cynical enough to just stab himself over and over again and use your healing gunk to regenerate.  Even if it worked, he’d never have the courage to use whatever power he gained.“

"Perhaps,” Doctor Topsas said.  "But it would still be worth investigating.  Perhaps the trait could be used to bolster the immune system of other…“

But before he could finish his thought, a robot painted in black and white stripes rolled into the infirmary to summon Luffa back to the arena.  "Contestant Luffa.  We are ready to proceed with the eighth round of the Plutark Classic.”

*******

* * *

“What’s this crap?  I thought I was facing a warrior, not an invalid!”

Luffa pulled off some of her bandages and began stretching her arm and legs.  "I just didn’t have time to get this stuff taken off me first,“ she explained.  "But don’t worry.  You’ll be just as dead when this is over.”

Her opponent was a Yetitan.  He stood nine feet tall and his entire body was covered in thick white hair.  His mouth wasn’t visible, but his voice was loud enough to carry all the way to the cheap seats of the arena.  Coal black eyes stared at her with unbridled contempt.  

“You fight like a fool, woman!” the Yetitan growled.  "I have watched your matches thus far.  Always taunting your enemy and never blocking or dodging their attacks!  And yet you always have just enough might to tear victory from the jaws of defeat.  Well I say you are nothing but a trickster!  You may have toyed with those others, but I will put an end to it!  Before I’m done, you will beg me to end your misbegotten life!“

Luffa stood her ground and balled her fists.  ” _Fine_.  I suppose there’s no point in dragging this out.  I need to check my progress anyway.“

She screamed.  A visible aura appeared around her body as she tensed her muscles, and gusts of wind pulsed outward from her in all directions.   She could feel it now.  Fighting those last six opponents had greatly increased her strength, more than she had gained in the last three years on Dorlu Prime.  For a moment she wondered if she had surpassed her husband.  Then she found she could increase her strength further, and she began to wonder if her father’s level was within reach.  But this train of thought was interrupted by a giant hairy fist to her face.

"Simpleton!” the Yetitan roared.  "Did you _honestly_ believe I would stand here _gawking like a spectator_ while you increased your _ki_?!  I will grind your bones into dust!“  

Luffa fell to the arena floor about sixty feet from where she had been standing.  The Yetitan closed the distance with a single leap, and raised his massive arms to deliver another blow.  But before he could complete his strike, Luffa was back on her feet.  She caught the Yetitan’s wrists in her hands, and held them tightly.  

"I wasn’t finished yet,” Luffa said calmly, looking into her opponent’s eyes.   “You complained that I was toying with my opponents, so I decided to fight you seriously.”

The Yetitan struggled to escape her grip, but he found himself unable to move his arms at all.  In an instant, the rage on his face shifted into desperation.  Luffa yelled again, and she never took her eyes off of his.  

“S-stop this!” The Yetitan howled over the thunderous noise of Luffa’s aura.  "You simian wench!   Let… me… go!“

Suddenly, she stopped, and the world around them went eerily quiet.  In a single fluid motion, Luffa released the Yetitan’s arms, then held her open palms towards his chest.  A wave of concussive force sent him flying backward across the arena floor.  

Left to his trajectory, the Yetitan would have collided with the barricade separating the arena floor from the audience.  Instead, Luffa chased after him.  To the audience, it would have seemed as though she had vanished from one point, and reappeared directly over the Yetitan as he careened through the air.  With a single elbow strike to his chest, she sent him crashing down to the ground.  The force of his impact was enough to make a small crater.  Luffa, however, floated gently to the ground like a leaf.  

But the Yetitan was far from finished.  He emerged from the crater almost as soon as Luffa touched the ground, and this time he held a glowing ball of energy in his hands.  

Luffa was amazed.  Not by her opponent’s tenacity, or his ability to conjure energy attacks using his own life force.   Those were matters any Saiyan child took for granted.  Rather, she was astonished that she could somehow _sense_ the energy coalescing in the Yetitan’s shaggy hands.  It was more than sight or sound; somehow she could tell just how much energy it contained, and she could compare this to her own battle strength, which she had learned to gauge years earlier.  Had her battles in the tournament augmented her perceptions as well as her strength?   Did her father possess this power as well?

These question distracted her from the matter at hand, and so she was forced to catch the energy attack and hold it back with here bare hands.  She had intended to defect it harmlessly upwards, so as not to injure the spectators or the tournament committee that controlled the prize money.  But such a maneuver required precise timing, and she had blown that on woolgathering.  Whatever had awakened her senses, they now told her that the energy attack was not nearly powerful enough to do her serious harm, although it would have surely killed her as she had been before entering the tournament.  

Still, it was a struggle to keep the sphere of power from moving forward.  At last, she decided there was nothing to be gained in resisting it, and she allowed it to explode in her face.  It was painful, but her senses had not misled her.  She was virtually unscathed.  

The Yetitan was dumbstruck to see her still standing as the dust settled from the blast.  Luffa closed in on him before he could react, and she planted her hands on his forehead, intending to finish him with an energy blast of her own.  

"Is this serious enough for you?” she taunted.  "Or should I start begging you to end my misbegotten life?“

The Yetitan was too horrified to answer.  He stood transfixed, gasping for breath as Luffa decided what to do with him.  

"Maybe I should toy with you now, since you don’t seem to enjoy fighting at this pace,” she offered.  "You’re clearly no match for me, so you shouldn’t mind if I keep you breathing a while longer while I test out my abilities.“  

The Yetitan gave no reply, save for a series of astonished gasps.  Luffa took this as a 'yes’.

She wanted to know just how keen her senses had become.  If she could feel her opponent’s life energies building for an attack, did that mean she could read his intentions as well?   Saiyans had the ability to communicate telepathically, but this was limited to intentional messages.  One could only "hear” what the other had deliberately chosen to “say”.  Was it possible to actually probe into another mind?  Perhaps it just required a certain level of acuity that only came with intense training.  She focused her awareness solely on the Yetitan and ignored everything else.

And then she was flooded with images and emotions.  His name was Wampaaan'riix and his parents had begged him not to compete in the deathmatch competitions.  But he was young and brash, and it paid better than the so-called “honest” living farming lichens in the snowy expanses of his homeworld.  His wives and children had always been so proud of his victories, and he had never once considered the possibility of defeat.  But now it had happened.  He had been beguiled by this bandaged slip of a girl, and she had revealed herself to be far stronger and faster than he could have ever prepared for.  She had overwhelmed him and now she was going to play with him like a dying caribou before she destroyed him.  

And he felt so ashamed!  Not for losing this match.  He had done his best and came up short.  What tormented him now was that he had never truly considered the _consequences_ of defeat.  The woman would destroy him.  He would die.  He would never see the midnight sun circle the sky of his homeworld.  He would never see his eldest daughter complete her maturity rites.  His wives would be forced to seek charity from the government, a difficult task even in the best of circumstances.  His parents would be heartbroken.  

All this misery, and for what?  So he could puff up his pride and sate his bloodlust for profit?  He wanted to beg this woman for his life, plead for a second chance.  But even if she were inclined to show mercy, he knew he did not deserve it.  He had lived as a fool, and now he would die in his folly.  His only wish now was that his family might one day forgive him…

Luffa released the Yetitan’s head and stepped back.  Somehow she had witnessed his thoughts and felt them as if they had been her own.  She half-suspected it was some desperation tactic, a mind trick he was using to catch her off-guard, but it had been too authentic an experience to be denied.  Still, he eyed the Yetitan carefully as she regained her bearings.  

Then she saw the tears in his eyes.  

Her every instinct told her to finish him off.  There was no practical purpose to sparing his life.  He was beaten, and his life was hers to end.  

Instead, she called out to the audience.  

“I’m done!” she shouted.  "I’m too strong to have a good match with this one.  There’s no point in continuing, so I’m letting him go.“

The audience was upset with this development to say the least.  After several confused minutes, a voice echoed through the public address system to respond to her announcement.  

"Contestant Luffa, the Tournament Committee wishes to remind you that it is illegal to resign from this competition.  You must either kill your opponent or allow him to kill you.  You may not spare him–”  

The end of the message was cut off when Luffa blasted the speaker system with a bolt of energy from her fingertips.  

“If you think you can stop me,” she roared, “then you’re welcome to try.  Anything would be better than this joke of a 'competition’.”

The Yetitan was still speechless, but he was much more relieved than he had been before.  

Luffa turned to address him.  "They won’t take it out on you.  It’s not your fault you’re too weak to kill me, and you can’t force me to kill you.  You can probably keep fighting in the tournament, or you can leave to see your family again.  Whatever you want to do.“

"Then you really _did_ see my thoughts,” the Yetitan said. “Only the sacred elders of my world have that power, and they train their whole lives to master it.”  

“I just found out about it today,” she explained.  "I… I didn’t mean to pry into your personal life or anything.  All I wanted was a good fight.“  

He bowed to her.  "I must apologize for my conduct.  I judged you a wounded fool, but beneath the surface lies a complex and noble warrior.”

“Yeah, well… don’t mention it,” she said, somewhat unnerved by this sudden friendliness.  Fortunately, the armed guards arrived and surrounded her, giving her an excuse to break off the conversation.  

“Better head back to your family while you can, whitey,” she said, looking over the new wave of opposition.  "Things are gonna get pretty crazy on Plutark VII…“

**NEXT: Back to the front.**


	4. Chapter 4

_**[March 13, 238 Before Age.  Interstellar Space]** _

“Another glass of juice, Mistress?”

“Why thank you, PB-2.  I think I will.”

She had settled things with the Plutark tournament committee rather smoothly, all things considered.  True, she had violated the tournament rules by refusing to kill, and thus she had forfeited the prize money, but the committee really had no way to stop her from taking it.   Their hired goons had found that out the hard way, and for their sake, she hoped the arachnoid caretaker was as skillful with their injuries as he had been with hers.  

They had struck a compromise.  Luffa’s business on Plutark was completed, so all she had really wanted was to get off the planet.  So one of the members of the tournament committee gave her is personal yacht to transport her on her way.  He wasn’t particularly thrilled to give it up, but his fellows on the committee convinced him it was well worth it to be rid of a Saiyan who could ruin their entire enterprise if she set her mind to it.  

And so she was making her way through interstellar space, gobbling up the yacht’s pantry, all while the ship’s servitor robot waited on her hand and foot.  There had been a fluffy white bathrobe in the ship’s hold, and she decided to wear it while her own clothes were being laundered.   Luffa wondered if this was how the Saiyan King Revahl spent his days.  She had to admit that she could get used to this.  

“Mistress, my sensors indicate that you have several large contusions,” DB-2 announced.  "Shall I begin medical treatment?“

"Nah, if I keep this up, I’ll go soft,” Luffa joked.  But this last word gave her pause.  Now that she had said it aloud, now that she was alone with her own thoughts, she had to give it serious consideration.  She slid out of the captain’s chair and paced around the bridge.  

The experience of reading the Yetitan’s mind still haunted her.  In her last match before leaving Plutark VII, she had grown so powerful that her opponent had been helpless before her.  Luffa had used this as an opportunity to test her new abilties, and tried to probe his mind.   She had expected to just get a superficial readout of his fighting strategy, but instead she felt the dread and shame of a helpless victim waiting for the end.  It made sense, really.  What else was he supposed to feel in what he believed to be his final moments?  But Luffa had never imagined how vivid those emotions could be.  

And so she had taken pity on the poor slob.  It was a very un-Saiyan thing to do, but how could she murder him after immersing herself in his will to live?  If he had begged for mercy–aloud–that would have been one thing.  This had been more like the distilled _essence_ of a plea, the passion and terror that motivated a person to beg for mercy.  Faced with this, how could she have denied him?

It continued to distract her afterwards.  She hadn’t killed a single man in the armed retinue that tried to subdue her when she quit the tournament.  She didn’t _need_ to kill any of them, but there was no reason _not_ to kill them either.  And yet she couldn’t help but wonder how many of them had been terrified by her power. 

But she _had_ killed before.  She had killed six other fighters that same day.  What if she had read _their_ minds in the final moments?  What would she have found?  Were they any less deserving of pity than the one she had spared?  

She threw her glass to the deck and crossed her arms.  The worst part of this insight was that it had come as a side-effect of her increased physical might.  Calling it “un-Saiyan” seemed irrational.  She had been mortally wounded six times that day, and with each recovery her power was magnified.  What was more Saiyan than that?!  What if this was simply natural?  Perhaps great insight was supposed to accompany the increase in power.  But if that were true, what would happen when she became even stronger still?  Would she become paralyzed with remorse?  Would she retire to some mountaintop and contemplate the universe like a lousy monk?

“I miss you,” she said aloud.

“I beg your pardon, Mistress?” the robot asked.

“Wasn’t talking to you,” Luffa grumbled.  For a moment she considered blasting the robot into pieces, but this was pointless.  It was just following its programming, after all.  Besides, she had already taken out her frustrations on the glass, and felt no better for it.  

“My mother,” she said.  "She used to explain stuff to me when I was a kid.  About the Saiyans.  Why we’re so strong.  How we need to get even stronger.  Why some of us are weaker than others.   I bet if she were here, she could explain what’s happened to me.“

DB-2 took this as an opportunity to make itself useful.  "If you know her location, I can set a course and take you to her.  Alternately, a long-range communication might be possible if–”

“Forget it,” Luffa snorted.  "She’s dead.  Has been ever since I was a kid.“

"My condolences,” DB-2 said.  It sickened her how it was programmed to convey sentiment that it obviously couldn’t feel.  Then again, she’d had her fill of other people’s emotions, and so perhaps a machine was the only company she could stand right now.    

“To hell with it,” Luffa growled.  "I need to hit something.  Find me a planet with something nasty on it.“

"Respectfully, Mistress,” DB-2 replied, “that would contradict your previous orders, which were to hold position at specified coordinates for our rendezvous with Orij and Kandai.”

“They won’t show up for days,” Luffa said.  "We all thought I’d be finishing the tournament!  So find me something to do in the meantime.“

DB-2 froze in place, and the red light in the center of its cranium began to blink rapidly as it accessed the ship’s computer.

"Very well, Mistress,” it said.  "I have tapped into long range communications, searching for messages pertaining to combat and danger.  Legend tells of a ferocious beast that walks the icy surface of Toirth…  A marauder from the distant world of Zoon seeks to conquer the Hathwar sector…  Dorlu Prime is currently under siege by the Tikosi…“

"Dorlu Prime?!” Luffa asked.  "But we just left there.  The Tikosi would never be so brazen as to launch an assault so soon after–“

But then she remembered what her father had told her.  The Saiyan defense of Dorlu Prime had been little more than theater. Whatever Luffa thought she knew about the Tikosi strategy was questionable at best.  Orij hadn’t seen fit to let her in on the truth.  What was the point, since she had been far too weak to participate in any of the action?

She had no idea how strong the Tikosi really were, or how badly they wanted to take the settlement.  It would be foolhardy to enter such a conflict with so little information.   And yet, this was precisely what made the prospect so exciting.  A chance to upstage her father!  She could reveal her newfound strength by doing in earnest what he had only half-done in pretense.  He had told her to forget the Dorluns, but let him try to scold her _now_ …

"Set course for Dorlu Prime,” Luffa commanded. She started to pace the deck with excitement, but she stopped suddenly and called out to DB-2 once more.  "And prepare a cryo-sleep chamber for me.  I need to be rested up for this, and I don’t think I’ll get much sleep otherwise.“

********

* * *

_**[March 14, 238 Before Age: Dorlu Prime]** _

To their credit, the Dorlun militia held out far longer than either side had expected.  The Tikosi had been cautious as ever, but they had still expected an easy victory.  Captain Zatte and her troops had denied it to them.  

And so the Tikosi took up positions around the settlement, each of them waiting, each of them staring at the walls of the colony with the same blank-eyed stare they all seemed to share.  Their arms and armor were decorated with fiery eagle motifs, suggesting a passionate warrior creed, but their cold, calculating methods on the battlefield told a very different story.  Their humanoid physiques suggested years of intense battlefield training, but their faces were wan and insensate.

They never sensed Luffa’s approach.  Either their attention was completely focused on the settlement, or her speed had allowed her to close in on her quarry before they could react.  For one Tikosi soldier, the first sign of Luffa’s presence was his last, as she caved in his skull with a single punch to the back of his helmeted head.

Four more died by her hands before the rest of the line turned to face the enemy in their midst.  She screamed, and a shockwave radiated from her body, shaking the ground in all directions.  She swung around, raising her outstretched arm as she turned, and pointing it at Tikosi who had been standing behind her.  With a savage growl she unleashed a wave of concussive force that knocked them into the air like leaves in a storm.  

"Fight back, you worthless slime!” Luffa yelled. “I didn’t come all this way for an easy victory!   _Fight me_!”

The Tikosi scrambled to their feet and answered her challenge as well as they could.  Some of them opened fire with long poles that launched plasma bursts from the end.  Others activated devices on their gauntlets that would increase the power behind their punches.  In the distance, she could see other Tikosi coming to join the battle, abandoning their positions surrounding the colony.  

Luffa dodged their attacks with ease.  When it pleased her, she allowed one or two of them to land a hit, just to see how well she could withstand it.  She estimated that the Tikosi weapons might pose a threat, but only if she stood perfectly still and let them all attack her continuously.  And she had no intention of doing anything so dull.

“Five years you Tikosi have coveted this stupid planet!” Luffa taunted.  "Yet you roll over and die when a single Saiyan stands in your way?  What a _waste_.“  

She leaped into the air and threw back her hands, gathering energy.  When she was ready, she swung her palms in front of her chest and fired into their ranks.  The blast left a large crater in the ground, but otherwise it did no serious damage to the planet’s crust.  Luffa smiled, pleased that her self-control was still able to manage her increased strength.

Next, she dove into a group of soldiers, just to test their hand-to-hand combat skills.  They showed promise, but their technique was too rigid, she thought.  They all fought exactly the same way, as though she were only fighting a single opponent over and over again.   She decided to get creative, and so she put her hands behind her back and began fighting with only her knees and feet.  

At last, when she was satisfied that the Tikosi army had shown her the full extent of their abilities, she put her hands together and concentrated.  A ball of white light sprang into being, growing larger with each second.  Luffa leaped into the air, and took up a position between the city and its attackers.  When she was ready, she released the energy as a beam of light, which spread out and engulfed every Tikosi that had survived her initial onslaught.  She tilted her palms slightly, guiding the beam as it went, curving its trajectory just enough to send it up and away from the planet’s surface.  When it faded from sight, all that remained in its wake was dust which had once been Tikosi soldiers.  

Luffa took a deep breath and smiled with satisfaction.  Then she turned and flew towards the settlement.  

*******

* * *

"I thought you Saiyans pulled out,” Zatte said.  A bloody bandage concealed one of her eyes, and her uniform was covered in scorch-marks.  

“I just dropped by,” Luffa said.  "I thought you Dorluns planned to surrender.“

"They rejected our offer,” Zatte said. “Governor Coyto went to parley with them days ago.  He never returned.  I’ve been holding the Tikosi off ever since.”

The two women walked through the wreckage of what had been the west living quarters.  Every so often, a Dorlun soldier would run by, carrying medical equipment, or tools for repairing the defensive force fields.  A few of them noticed Luffa and their eyes lightened with hope, but Zatte dismissed them with a wave of her hand.  

“Name your price, Saiyan,” Zatte said grimly.

“What?  I’m off the clock, Captain.  I just… I just came by because I needed to blow off some steam, and I heard there was an attack in progress and–”

“Enough!” Zatte screamed.  Luffa turned to look at her and saw tears streaming down her one good eye.  "I’m in no mood to bargain.  You want to _fight_ , don’t you?  That’s all you _care_ about, all you ever _talk_ about.  Well I’ve got more than enough fighting to go around.  Only we used most of our finances to pay off your damnable father.  For all the good it did us!“

Luffa was taken aback by this.  Zatte had always been so professional and restrained.  The closest she ever came to showing frustration was when her troops had under-performed during training exercises.  To see her so desperate and raw was unsettling.  At one time, Luffa might have only found this strange.  But now, with her powers so advanced, and her recent mindlink with the Yetitan…

"Zatte, I’ve already beaten them,” she stammered.  "You saw what I did out there.  They were no match for me.“

Zatte slapped Luffa across the face.  Luffa might have avoided the blow, or killed Zatte out of pure reflex, but instead she found herself doing neither.  

"You stupid _fool_!” Zatte growled.  "That was only the first wave!  Didn’t your father tell you _anything_ about the Tikosi?   How they fight?  How they think?“  

Luffa didn’t answer.  There was nothing she could say.  

"You handled them pretty well, but they’ll be back, and they _won’t_ be so easy to beat next time.  They won’t stop, Luffa.  If you’ve come to fight them then you’re going to be here a while.  If you’ve got someplace else to be, then do us a favor and leave us to die.  What you just did out there… you’ve only delayed the inevitable.”

“I thought you had plans to evacuate,” Luffa said.

“ _They destroyed our ships_!” Zatte shouted.  "Luffa, the Tikosi want us all dead.  I don’t know why.  They won’t tell me.  The only thing that can stop them right now is _you_ , but you’ll do us no good if you treat this like a game.  I can’t pay you unless you’ll accept me as your slave.“

"Zatte–!”

“ _It’s all I have left_!” she snapped.  "The treasury’s gone, our farmland is so much scorched earth now, and our mining operations are nothing but rubble.  We have a few weapons, but that’s nothing to you.“  

She dropped to her knees and grabbed hold of the folds of Luffa’s pants.  "Please…” she sobbed.  "I don’t know what else to do.  You’re the only chance we have left…“

Luffa could only think back to the Yetitan’s terror.  He had been too proud to beg for mercy, but his mind still felt the shame and fear all the same.  Governor Coyto had once told her that the Dorlun way was to do whatever it took to survive.  For Captain Zatte, it meant abasing herself and begging for deliverance.  Luffa had respected Zatte above all the Dorluns.  She had been a warrior, and she had admired the Saiyan way up to a point.  If Orij had simply fought the Tikosi directly, it wouldn’t be necessary for her to beg Luffa in this way.  The thought of it disturbed her profoundly.  

She bent down, took hold of Zatte’ shoulders, and lifted her to her feet.  "Get ahold of yourself,” Luffa said.  "I’ll fight for you.  No charge.“

"Wh-what?” Zatte asked.  

“I’m tired of taking orders, wasting time on fees and payments,” Luffa said.  "A _true_ Saiyan fights for the sheer _pleasure_ of it.  Breaking these Tikosi bastards will be its own reward.“

"But your father–” Zatte said.  

“If he has a problem with it, let him come and take it up with me,” Luffa said.  "Otherwise, I’ll settle with him later.“

Zatte wiped the tears from her eye and her lower lip began to quiver.  "Luffa… you don’t know what this _means_ to me.  I can’t… I never thought I’d _see_ you again, much less…”

She threw her arms around the Saiyan, and Luffa awkwardly patted her on the back.  "Right… uh… there there…  Shouldn’t you be finding a way to get your people out of danger?“  

"I’ll do what I can,” Zatte promised.  "But if you can’t stop them, we won’t have much of a chance.  Don’t underestimate them, Luffa.  You haven’t seen what they’re truly capable of.“

A bead of sweat ran down Luffa’s forehead, but she ignored it.   "Sounds interesting,” she said with a chuckle.  Then she launched herself into the air like a missile.

*******

* * *

The next wave of Tikosi soldiers had fallen almost as swiftly as the last.  Before, Luffa had toyed with them.  This time, she fought cautiously, taking her time in the hopes that they would give away their strategy.  Luffa still couldn’t shake Captain Zatte’ warning.  Weak as she was, Zatte was too practical for hysterics.  She was certain that a Saiyan could defend the settlement, but only a Saiyan who understood the opposition.  

But that wasn’t what made Luffa so nervous.  During her visit to the settlement, she made no attempt to learn what had happened to the children.  Were they safe?  Had the Tikosi launched a surprise attack and killed them before they could take cover?  Luffa could have asked, but she simply couldn’t bring herself to do it.  Captain Zatte’ injuries had only discouraged her further.  

And why should it have mattered?  A Saiyan was _supposed_ to be cold and ruthless in combat.  Worrying about the fate of others was only a distraction, and on the battlefield, distraction could be fatal.  But she couldn’t push the thoughts out of her mind, and the Tikosi were maddeningly accommodating about it.  A worthier enemy would have exploited her woolgathering by now.  Instead, they helpfully died at her feet, allowing her to contemplate what he Dorluns meant to her.  

She had come back to let off some steam, but in truth she had wanted to upstage her father and husband.  But the deeper truth was that she only resented them because they had pledged their services to the Dorlun cause, then abandoned it without fulfilling their obligations.   Orij was more worried about profit margins than his own honor.  Even if a decisive victory over the Tikosi had been a poor business strategy, he should have gone through with it if only to salvage his pride.  

Seeing Zatte begging Luffa to finish a battle her father had never started… it made her angry.  At worst, her father was a coward.   At best, her father only _resembled_ a coward, and he simply didn’t care.  

But she was still alert enough to notice that as the last of the Tikosi fell to the dust in defeat, one of their corpses began to quiver.  Instinctively, she leaped to a safe distance to watch it.  

The soldier convulsed as though it still had a head on its shoulders.  Then a mass of dark grey flesh sprouted from its neck.  Luffa watched in revulsion as the corpse rose up to a kneeling position, its arms drooping helplessly at its sides as the mass on its neck expanded and assumed a vaguely humanoid form.  

“What the hell are you?” Luffa demanded.  

“Annnnnnnnnnn…. ennnnnnvoyyyyyyy,” the creature replied, although it had no obvious mouth from which to speak.  It raised a thin arm and pointed one of its three fingers at Luffa.  "Yoooouurrrrrrr perrrrrfoorrrrrmannnnnce hassssss beeeeennnnnnnnnnnn…“

It stopped speaking, then squinted its four red eyes and shook its head violently.  Luffa almost wondered if some third creature might sprout from this one’s head.  At last it settled down and continued to speak.

"Exemplary.  Yes… for-give me, Saiyan.  The vo-cal func-tions are the lassssst to develop.  You dis-patched my hooooost more quickly than I had annnntic-i-pated.”

“ _You’re_ the Tikosi!” Luffa realized.  "These poor slobs were merely hosts that your people infested.“

"Correct, Saiyan,” the Tikosi said.  My species lays its eggs in the bodies of creatures like you. As I matured, I learned to control the motor skills of the host.  And I could use it to interact with the outside world until I achieved my present form.  I would imagine you did these men a great mercy by slaying them.  I understand the life of a host is quite… _unpleasant_.“

"Don’t tell me,” Luffa grumbled. She waved a hand at the battlefield, and the many dead she had left there.  "I have to kill these losers all over again.“

"Not… all,” the Tikosi answered.  Its skin had become much shinier now, and it seemed to take on a much sturdier appearance, like an exoskeleton.  "Some of your blows were probably severe enough to kill both host and pupae all at once.  As to the rest, they are under _my_ command, and will not attack until I give the order.“

Luffa took a defensive stance, crouching with one hand held in front of her, the other behind.  "Well if you want to get back to it, let’s go,” she said.  

“We want the Dorluns, Saiyan, but we will spare them,” the envoy said.  "We will spare them if you surrender yourself to us.“

"So you can put one of your creepy-crawlies in me?” Luffa scoffed.  "Such a tempting offer.“

"We came to this world to destroy the Dorluns,” the Tikosi explained.   “We _will_ destroy them.  You cannot stop us.  You may survive this battle, but you will not save them.  That it your objective, is it not?”

“I’m not here to bow down to your demands,” Luffa said.  She turned her head and spit.  “I’m here to _fight_. So go ahead and do whatever it is you came here to do!“

"As you wish, Saiyan.” The Tikosi made a bizarre clicking noise, and then the ground began to shake beneath her feet.  Luffa looked around to see what was happening, but she couldn’t find any cause to the tremors.  

Then she felt it.  Not the physical rumbling of the ground, but the life energy of the adult Tikosi increasing from within the bodies of their hosts.  She took to the air and raised her arms over her face to prepare for the worst.  

Below her, the battlefield exploded into a storm of crimson light.  When it faded, she saw dark figures scattered all around, each of them staring up at her.  

Then she heard a loud buzzing noise, and turned to see what it was.  In the east, she saw what looked like an enormous flock of black birds approaching.  In the distance, they looked like an ominous cloud.  But Luffa knew that they had to be Tikosi reinforcements.  

She clenched her fists and drew upon the reserves of power she had not yet used since returning to Dorlu Prime.  The time for caution was over.  Now she was fighting for her life.  


	5. Chapter 5

**[15 March 238 Before Age]**

Just as the Tikosi envoy had promised, they had come to slaughter the Dorluns.  By nightfall, the Dorlun settlement lay virtually defenseless, save for a lone Saiyan warrior who had come to its rescue.  

Luffa had been fighting them for hours.  It was after midnight and only their auras lit the battlefield now.  Luffa glowed a faint white as she rocketed through the moonless night sky of Dorlu Prime.  The Tikosi, now fully revealed as five-foot tall bipedal insectoids, glowed a dull red as they flew after her, determined to surround and overwhelm her with their superior numbers.  

From inside the settlement, Captain Zatte watched the battle in through a pair of night-vision binoculars.  Not even a Saiyan could stop the Tikosi swarm, it seemed.  At best, Luffa was only holding them off.  She was slaughtering dozens of individual soldiers, but reinforcements arrived to replace them.  Perhaps if Orij and Kandai had been here to help her…

No.  There was no point in speculating.  The other two Saiyans were long gone, and that was that.  Besides, they could only do what Luffa was doing right now, and while they might have tripled her kill rate, it would have availed them nothing.  The Tikosi would make good their losses somehow.  The cold hard truth was that they had all underestimated the Tikosi battle strength.  The Saiyans and Dorluns had fended off their armies in the past, but those had been mere raiding parties compared to this.  Everything up to this night had been prologue for the Tikosi.  They had sacrificed their troops to test the colony’s defenses, nothing more.  

Zatte turned to one of her subordinates.  "Give the order to evacuate the colony,“ she said grimly.  

"But the ships–” he stammered.  

“We’ll have to take our chances on open ground,” she said.  

“The Tikosi will hunt us down one by one!” he argued.

“Which they will do _anyway_ if we remain here!” she snapped.  "At least if we split up they won’t have such a convenient time finding us.  Maybe if we’re _really_ lucky a few of us might survive.  Now do it!“

"What about you, ma'am?”

Zatte glared at him with her one good eye and then turned back to watch the battle.  "I’ll stay behind.  Maybe I can keep the Tikosi from noticing your departure.“

"That’s suicide, Captain.  It’s heresy.”

“Are you questioning my _tenacity_ , soldier?” Zatte glowered.  "I said I’ll remain here.  I don’t intend to let these monsters kill me.“

"Forgive me, Captain,” he said, backing away.  "It’s just… where the Saiyan is concerned, your judgment has been… clouded.“

Zatte smiled.  "Fine.  I’m a lousy commander.  I figure I’ll be out of a job by morning anyway.  That doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten our sacred trust.  I’ll survive as long as I possibly can, soldier.   Because of _her_.   _In spite_ of her.  Whatever motivation works.  But the rest of you need to leave now.  Get moving.”

The soldier nodded curtly and went to assemble the remaining settlers.  Zatte bit her lower lip and raised her binoculars to resume watching the battle.

The Tikosi appeared to have brought Luffa down.  They had been swarming around her, forming a great dark spherical cloud just over the ground.  Energy blasts occasionally lanced out of the cloud in random directions.  Now the cloud had sunk to the ground, forming a horrific dome.  Zatte shut her eye tightly and lowered her head.  

The Dorlun way was to survive.  This was not merely a matter of self-preservation, or supremacist rhetoric.  The Dorlun culture held that their lives were owed to a higher purpose, and their species was a vital part of nature itself.  There was little in the way of a martial tradition in their society.  War, like peace, could be a means of survival, but not an end unto itself.  War was an option, and one the Dorluns pursued with zeal when necessary, but warriors had to place themselves in mortal peril, and so it ran counter to the survival ethic.  

But Zatte had found something appealing to the way of the warrior.  At first, she simply appreciated the skills to defend one’s self and companions.  Then she grew to enjoy the honing of these skills for its own sake, like a kind of art.  In time, she came to admire the Saiyan Luffa, who lived solely for the love of a good fight.  Saiyans had little respect for their own safety, but they thrived nonetheless.  

She didn’t think Luffa could understand how she felt.  Saiyans were so distant with their feelings, and they tended to be disinterested in other cultures.  Zatte wanted to believe that Luffa had come back for _her_ , and not just for a good fight, or even to protect a defenseless colony.  It was probably too much to hope for.  

In any case, it made no difference now.   Luffa was dead, or soon would be.  And Captain Zatte was likely to follow, unless some very subtle opportunity revealed itself in the next several minutes.  

The swarm of Tikosi had now begun advancing towards the colony.  Captain Zatte couldn’t see any sign of Luffa, but she was almost certainly dead by now.  She took one last look behind her to make sure her evacuation orders were being carried out.  The only illumination left inside the settlement was emergency flares that had been haphazardly dropped in key areas, but it was enough to show her that her people were on the move.   She headed for a ladder mounted to the north wall, and climbed up a rampart and made preparations for her last stand.  

The big cannon that dominated the rampart had been disabled in the Tikosi’s first assault.  It had toppled off its pedestal and now lay in a useless heap on the deck.  However, there was still a cache of portable weapons on the rampart, and Zatte was fairly confident that she could rig them to operate off the big cannon’s power supply.  She took a flare from her belt and balanced it carefully on the cannon’s barrel.  Satisfied with the lighting, she crouched over the cannon and opened the maintenance hatch on its side.  

She worked quickly but without panic.  Zatte was numb to her fear by now.  The Tikosi were getting closer, but her best hope of survival lay in keeping her cool and sticking to her plan.  And so she did.  As the chatter of Tikosi limbs and mouthparts grew ever louder, she calmly carried weapons from the cache to the broken cannon, and wired them all together.  

Her long red hair was black with sweat now, and her blue skin was caked with dust from the battle.  As Zatte picked up a rifle in each hand, she hoped that Luffa might approve of this small tribute.  The Tikosi were now climbing up the rampart.  Zatte leveled her weapons, and waited.  When the first of them made it to the top, she opened fire, blasting their bodies into pieces.  

Hooking up the small arms to such a large power supply was dangerous, because it made the rifles almost impossible to aim properly.  They simply weren’t meant to channel that much energy.  But Zatte was firing pointblank, and she had a talent for this sort of thing. Besides, in their arrogant, _en masse_ approach, the Tikosi were in no position to dodge her fire.  

But there were still too many of them, and before long, they had completely surrounded her on all sides.  Zatte continued to fire, but she couldn’t hold them back any longer.  She hunched down by the broken cannon, using its bulk to defend her rear as she prepared for her last ditch effort.  Dropping one of her rifles, she thrust her free hand into the maintenance hatch of the cannon and fingered the switch to overload its power supply.  

If the Tikosi realized what she was doing, they didn’t seem to care.  Slowly, they closed around her, as though they planned to crush her by their sheer mass rather than kill her like an enemy soldier.  

Zatte stared at them, her one good eye blazing with defiance.  Even now, she refused to give up, but she was practical to accept the likely outcome.  

“Goodbye, Luffa,” she murmured softly.  "I loved you…“

Almost as soon as she finished the sentence, the Tikosi closest to her was suddenly knocked back by something that came bursting up through the deck of the rampart.  Zatte didn’t recognize it at first.  It was covered in dried blood and mud, and even the Tikosi seemed reluctant to advance upon it.  

It grabbed the nearest Tikosi and bit into its head.  Zatte had never heard a Tikosi cry out in pain before, but apparently this was because she had never tried to eat one of them alive.  The others tried to save their comrade, but they were roughly shoved aside by this bloody thing that had come up from below.  

It swallowed the mouthful of Tikosi flesh and gave a gruesome sigh of satisfaction.  Then it screamed, and only then did Captain Zatte recognize this horror as her beloved Luffa.  

The Tikosi’s reaction told the whole story.  They had clearly thought that they had finished her and left her for dead, but Luffa had _survived_ , and rather than lick her wounds or count her blessings, she had raced after them to continue the fight.  For a brief moment, they all wondered just how they could kill an enemy who so stubbornly refused to die.  

But Luffa was in no mood to let them ponder that.  She was completely consumed with bloodlust, both figuratively and literally.  As she attacked the Tikosi, she literally tore into them, ripping off limbs and appendages as she moved through their hordes.  One Tikosi actually managed to block one of her strikes with its forearm, only to grab the same forearm in agony as it glowed cherry red and exploded, leaving a charred stump at its elbow.  

Luffa laughed at this, and grabbed the maimed Tikosi in a headlock  Then she opened her mouth wide and launched a golden beam of energy from it.  For a few moments she swung her head from side to side, sweeping the Tikosi away.  Some of them were killed instantly, while others were knocked off of the deck.  It would take them a few minutes to climb back up, and she spent those minutes biting into her captive’s thorax.  

Cautiously, Zatte rose to her feet, and approached Luffa, but the Saiyan sensed her coming and turned to face her.  

"Hey,” Luffa said cheerfully.  Blood dribbled from the sides of her smiling lips.  

“Wh-…?” Zatte wanted to understand, but she couldn’t even formulate the question.  "Luffa, what _are_ you?“

Luffa rubbed her forearm across her mouth to wipe it off, but she only succeeded in smearing more blood over her face.  "Right now, I’m hungry.  These guys don’t taste _great_ , but they’ll do.”  

Suddenly, she gave Zatte a very concerned look.  "Look, uh, if you want to join in, that’s cool.  Plenty of action to go around.  But it’s getting a little hairy.  You might want to clear out.  Honestly, I thought you were gone already.“

"I thought you were dead,” Zatte explained.  "I was covering the others.“

"Nah, just getting my wind back,” Luffa said.  Then, darkly: “They’ll take the colony, Captain.  I’ll make ‘em regret it, but… I’ve failed.  I’m sorry.”

“Y-You’ve done more than we could have asked for,” Zatte said.  "More than we ever thought possible.  Luffa, I… thought I understood you Saiyans.  But I had no idea…“

Luffa shrugged and bit off a chunk of her captive’s leg.  "We clean up nice, but yeah, this is it.  Normally, the client’s not supposed to see this part of the job up close.”  

Zatte closed her eye and smiled.  "Well… I’ll leave you to it, then.  Good luck.“

"You too,” Luffa said with her mouth full.  

Zatte turned and headed down the ladder to the interior of the colony.  She wasn’t sure which way to go to make her escape, but she suspected it wouldn’t matter.  The Tikosi would be too busy with Luffa to search for her anyway.  She found a fresh sidearm, holstered it, and dashed into the shadows.  

*******

* * *

By daybreak, Luffa was fairly certain the Tikosi would kill her.  By noon, she wondered what they were waiting for.  

She couldn’t remember the last time she had been this exhausted.  Wounded, certainly.  Her opponents in the Deathmatch tournament on Plutark VII had scored hits that would have crippled or killed her without immediate medical attention.  And while the Tikosi had done _some_ damage over the last twenty hours, it was mostly superficial.  Besides, considering how many Tikosi soldiers it had taken to inflict it upon her, it was impressive that they had been willing to face her at all.  But she had never been this _tired_ before.  She couldn’t remember fighting for this long either.

Clearly, their strategy had been to wear her down.  In a war of attrition, they were apparently comfortable losing hundreds, possibly thousands of troops.  Luffa was willing to go the distance, but she only had to lose once, and the Tikosi would always have a fresh soldier in the field when it happened.  

“Damn,” was all she could say in the final hours of their battle.  She had been so focused on watching for unusual powers and dirty tricks that she had ignored the obvious.  The Tikosi were using her own Saiyan love of battle against her. Even now, when he legs felt like jelly and her arms protested each time she raised them to attack, she felt exhilarated.  Her clothing stank of sweat and her hair and skin were covered in dried blood.  Her common sense told her that her only chance was to withdraw, but the rush of such steep odds was too seductive.  

Besides, she was still angry about her father.  Orij had been the Dorluns’ great hope against the Tikosi, and he had betrayed them.  Luffa had failed to defend the colony, but she couldn’t stand the disgrace of ceding the battle.  The Tikosi victory would be as costly as she could make it.  And so she fought on, in spite of the inevitable.  

Still, she wondered why the Tikosi had allowed this to go on for as long as they had.  She had expected them to make a final push hours ago.  Instead, they seemed to back off.  For every three she killed, only one seemed to arrive to take their place.  Was this overconfidence, or were they hoping to lull her into a false sense of security?  Or were they truly, finally running out of reinforcements?  Luffa didn’t dare indulge in that fantasy.  As long as they kept showing up, she would continue to knock them down.  

At last, one of the Tikosi scored a hit with an energy pike to the back of her knee.  Luffa stumbled and fell, but she managed to roll out of the way of a second attack.  The third, however, caught her in the abdomen, and she realized she was finally weakened enough for them to finish off.  She kept struggling, but found her limbs simply weren’t fast enough to defend herself.  

She summoned all of her rage and devoted it to a single effort, grabbing one last Tikosi and ripping its head from its thorax.  This left her wide open to a pike attack on her back, and this one was powerful enough to put her out of action for good.  The Battle of Dorlu Prime was officially over.  

Luffa lay in the dust and waited for death.  The Tikosi stood over her and chattered in their indecipherable way.  She felt more disappointment than fear.  The Saiyans had no great fondness for death, but they recognized that a warrior race could expect to meet a violent end.  Luffa had always expected something like this in her final moments.  She was only sorry that it was all over.  A victory would have made it more satisfying.  Orij could have been forced to recognize his daughter’s strength, Captain Zatte could have given some speech at a feast in her honor… Mostly, though, she just wanted to be able to move on and find a new challenge.  

Perhaps the afterlife had something worth doing, she hoped.  

**NEXT: Worse than death?**


	6. Chapter 6

_**[15 March, 238 Before Age]** _

Much of what happened next was a blur for Luffa.  She was dragged from the battlefield to a spaceship, then put in restraints.  She drifted in and out of consciousness, and whenever she was awake enough to realize she was being held prisoner, she struggled to break loose.

_**[19 March, 238 Before Age]** _

The main constant was a dull ache in her neck and hands.  Dimly, Luffa became aware that intravenous tubes had been implanted in them, and she realized that she was being drugged to keep her pacified for transport.  Gradually, she stopped her futile thrashing, and resolved to gather her strength for a better opportunity.

_**[23 March, 238 Before Age]** _

But the chance never came, and Luffa lost track of how long she had been in captivity.  When she had the strength and presence of mind to look around, she found her surroundings to be far too… _clinical_ for a detention center.  She wondered if she had been receiving medical attention this whole time.  She dimly recalled intense pain, and wondered if the Tikosi had performed surgery on her without anesthesia.

_**[2 April , 238 Before Age]** _

More time passed, and Luffa eventually noticed that the restraints were no longer there.  She tried to move, but found herself too weak to do anything but turn her head.

Fear began to take root in her heart.  Had she been crippled during the battle somehow?  Had the Tikosi maimed her afterwards?  Was this some cruel retribution for all the casualties they had suffered at her hands?  And if they didn’t mean to kill her, then what would they do next?

Panicking, Luffa clenched her teeth and summoned her _ki._  A faint white aura rippled around her body, but she could do nothing to make use of the power.  Her limbs simply wouldn’t do what she wanted.  She thought she felt her toes wiggle, and took cold comfort that she might one day recover from this ordeal, assuming the Tikosi permitted it.

_**[10 April, 238 Before Age]** _

A Tikosi entered the room and began checking instruments arranged along the walls.  Then it examined Luffa, making sure to check the IV ports on her hands and neck.  Luffa scowled at the insectoid creature as it looked at her face, but her defiance was little more than a mask for her terror.

“W-what…” she said, struggling to speak, “are you…. doing to me?”

The Tikosi made no reply.  It moved to a cabinet beyond Luffa’s field of view, but she could still hear it clicking and chattering as it worked.

“Won’t… tell me?” She paused to catch her breath.  "Just as… well.  I probably would– wouldn’t like the… answer.“

The Tikosi ignored her. Luffa wondered if it could even speak.  Perhaps the "envoy” she had spoken to was specially bred to do all the talking for his kind.

“Dunno… if y’can… understand me,” she said.  "But you ought to… kill me… while you have… the chance.  Yer… only warning…“

She drifted off to sleep.

_**[9 May , 238 Before Age]** _

Luffa had lain awake for days.  She wasn’t sure how, except that the Tikosi were putting something in her bloodstream to prevent her from sleeping.

The result on her mind was a profound delirium.  Unable to move or escape into unconsciousness, her imagination ran wild.

She was on the platform in the Tikosi laboratory, but she also wasn’t.  Sometimes it seemed that the room was a featureless void, and she was running, constantly running.  At times, she would stumble and fall, only to realize that she had been laying motionless the entire time.

Sometimes she heard her father’s voice.  Then her mother’s.  She asked her to tell her a story of one of the great Saiyan heroes, the way she had done so many years ago.  But her mother only spoke of Luffa, and how she fought and lost a hopeless battle on a worthless planet.

She tried to ask her father to intervene.  She wanted to hear a story about Chanisp, better known as the Legendary Space Warrior.  But her father continued speaking as though he couldn’t hear her.  She found her voice had failed, but not when she spoke to her mother.

No, her mother simply refused to listen.  She went on and on about the Martyr of Dorlu Prime, the Forfeiture on Plutark VII, the Crippled Wretch in a Tikosi gulag.  Luffa, The Shame of All Saiyans, a cautionary tale for those weaklings who dared to reach beyond their grasp.

Luffa wanted to strangle her mother, if only to shut her up.  But she was already dead.  And Luffa was running again.  Then she tripped, and she realized she was laying helplessly on the platform.

_**[20 June, 238 Before Age]** _

The moon shone brightly upon her.  Luffa wondered how she had come to be outside. She had last remembered being sedated.  She still couldn’t move, and her neck and hands were still sore from the intravenous ports sticking out of them.

She couldn’t look away, even if she wanted to.  Her head was locked into place by some sort of brace.  There was a strange chill on her scalp as well.    But none of that mattered under the glow of the moonlight.

Her mother had once told her a legend, that a haughty moon goddess was offended that the Saiyan people admired her in the sky.  So she punished them with a curse on their tails.  From then on, any Saiyan who dared to glimpse at the full moon’s beauty would turn into a giant, vicious ape.  In his bestial rage, he would be unable to distinguish friend from foe, and slaughter all he held dear.

But the goddess’ curse had backfired, for she had failed to reckon with Saiyan pride.  Most beings would blanche at becoming a ferocious animal, but the Saiyans _relished_ it.  For the giant ape was merely a manifestation of the savagery that already lurked in the Saiyan heart.  And so the Saiyans cherished the moon’s beauty even more than before, and their enemies came to despise the moonlight as an omen of doom.  The goddess tried to undo her handiwork, but she had made the Saiyans too powerful, and so she could only watch helplessly as they triumphed in her name.  In her shame, the goddess would try to hide behind the planet, where she could mourn her bloody legacy, and this was why the full moon turns red during an eclipse.

Now, Luffa murmured an ironic prayer of gratitude to the foolish moon goddess, for once again her divine error would prove to be a Saiyan’s deliverance.  Luffa’s eyes turned red, and her heart began to pound in her chest.  Whatever her captors had done to her, the oozaru form would surely overcome it.  Soon she would be five times her normal size, covered in shaggy brown hair, and ten times stronger than her normal self.  She could almost feel the saliva dripping from her simian jaws, and she could practically taste the innards of her first victim.

But nothing happened.  Her eyes burned in the glow of the moonlight, and her blood surged like a pounding surf, but she didn’t change.  It was like being trapped in a single moment, the instant between seeing the moon and actually transforming.

Then the moon vanished.  How?  Where had it gone?  Had it never been there at all?  Mercifully, her body settled itself once the stimulus had been removed.  Luffa’s hopes were shattered, but at least she wasn’t stuck in mid-transfornation.

Then the moon reappeared.  Luffa tried to shut her eyes, and it was then that she realized she _couldn’t_.  Something had fixed her eyelids open.  Her heart thundered inside her, and her vision went red, but once again, nothing else happened.

After a time, the moon–or its image– vanished again, only to reappear.  Luffa grimaced in her torment.

After all these centuries, that damned moon goddess was finally having her revenge.

_**[31 July, 238 Before Age]** _

Luffa awoke to the sensation of an electric razor being rubbed over her scalp.  So that explained the chill sensation she had felt before.  

A Tikosi stood over her, weilding a scalpel.  She tried to move, but couldn’t.  The Tikosi lowered the knife just above her field of vision, and began…

_**[1 September, 238 Before Age]** _

Luffa dreamed of war.  

The dream made little sense, but perhaps that was what made it so cathartic.  She was a Giant Ape, stomping across a burning city, while men threw spears at her in a pitiful attempt to stop her from destroying them.  Then she was burning, and she exploded with such force as to destroy the very world she stood upon.  

She was back in the ship she had lived on as a little girl, and she walked through the corridors to find her mother resting on a couch.  She knew this couldn’t be real, and her mother was dead, and yet there she was.  Luffa struggled to think of what she should say, but then her mother sat up and reminded her that she still burned.  

"Why am I burning?” Luffa asked.  

“Because you do,” her mother answered cryptically.  

“If I don’t, who will?” Luffa reasoned.

“Now you’re catching on,” said no one in particular.  

She walked out the screen door and took flight.  When she found the citadel, she crash-landed into the top floor and strangled all of the soldiers inside.  Then she found the regent and forced him to beg for mercy.  He tried, but he couldn’t, for he could no longer speak.  Luffa searched far and wide for his voice.  He was her enemy, but he deserved a chance to beg.  

The solution lay in the thunders.  Only one remained, but if Luffa defeated it, she would burn forever.  It was a gamble she was willing to take.  Sometimes she _was_ the thunder, fending off an upstart Saiyan.  It was important that she _become_ the thunder without _being_ the thunder.  It was a tricky operation to say the least.   Occasionally she noticed that none of it made any sense.

She landed at a small cottage in the wilderness and the Dorluns welcomed her home.  Luffa was pleased to see them, but she had to get to work on her memoirs of the battle.  She tried to write but every time she picked up a piece of paper it burst into flame.  

_**[19 October, 238 Before Age]** _

Luffa screamed.

*******

* * *

 

**_[23 November, 238 Before Age]_ **

“ _There’s_ my little girl.”

Luffa awoke to find herself surprisingly lucid.  She still had difficulty moving, but everything looked and felt more _real_ than it had in these past…. days?

How long had it been?

She looked to her left to find the source of the voice, and saw Orij standing at her bedside.  If he was concerned at all about her predicament, he didn’t show it.

“F-father!” she gasped.

“I’m surprised you lasted this long, Luffa,” Orij chuckled.  "The Tikosi tell me most of their test subjects die within weeks.  But then they’ve never done this sort of work on a pure-blooded Saiyan before.“

"Work?” Luffa asked, dumbfounded. “How… did you get… here?  How’d you… find me?”

Orij laughed.  "I _live_ here, girl.  For the time being, anyway.  This is the Tikosi’s home planet. Most people don’t even know they have one, and they like to keep it that way.  Makes a nice base of operations for a journeyman mercenary.“

Luffa couldn’t believe what she was hearing.  "You… you… were working for… Tikosi _all along_.”

“Oh, it’s not quite that simple,” Orij said.  "Not that you need to know, but I suppose I have to tell _someone_ about it.  Successful business ventures just aren’t as satisfying unless you can brag on ’em.    The Tikosi aren’t much on conversation, and Kandai left months ago.“

He found a workstool and took a seat.

"Your mother always liked to tell stories.  It’s too bad she’s not around to tell this one, but I think I can wing it.  See, she was more than just a wife and mother, Luffa.  She was one of the best warriors I’d ever seen.  The problem was that she was too principled.  It happens to the best of Saiyans.  They do a tour on a few alien worlds, get to know the locals, and some of the morality starts to rub off on them.  When Revahl took over on Planet Saiya, she could have gotten a command in his army, but she didn’t like his style, so she became an expatriate instead.

"That’s how we met.  I don’t know if she ever told you.  I was refueling my ship on Bigreen, and no one on that stupid backwater can talk right, so I went looking for a conversation and found her.  I invited her to join my outfit and she became a merc.  Nine months later… well, you know how _that_ turned out.”

Luffa felt a chill running down her spine.  Whatever Orij’s business here was, she knew it wasn’t going to bode well for her.

“Of course, I never loved your mother.  A good lay, and a better fighter, but not much more than that.  She thought I shared her principled stand against King Revahl, but I didn’t.  I told you before, my only problem with his power is that it doesn’t belong to me.  I only became a merc so I could escape from his authority and do things my own way.  Your mom wanted to raise up a revolutionary army to overthrow the king.  Maybe you could have been part of that if she’d lived to see it.

"But I had other ideas.  See, I could buy into toppling Revahl, but it would only mean replacing his rule with your mother’s.  Same problem, different obstacle.  I wasn’t envious of your mother’s strength, mind you.  My only problem with it was that it wasn’t mine.”

“Orij paused and rubbed his chin thoughtfully.  "Wait, I suppose that _is_ envy after all.  Okay, fine.  So I envied your mother’s strength.  It just bugged me that some Saiyans get dealt a better hand at birth.  So I started looking for ways to shuffle the deck.  Long story short, I found the Tikosi.”

Luffa was stunned.  It wasn’t just _what_ her father was saying. It was how _casually_ he said it.  Like this was perfectly understandable to anyone, and he expected Luffa to nod with approval.

“I didn’t contact them at first,” Orij explained.  I wanted to do my homework, and build up enough funds to negotiate a fee.  But I found out that the Tikosi are _very_ interested in genetic research.  Their hive uses eugenics to breed out defects, and they study other life forms to find ways to enhance their own species.  Kind of over my head, but I understood enough to get interested.  My plan was to betray your mother, turn her over to them, and then they could take her apart and see what made her tick.  Then they could duplicate that special something in me.“

In spite of her weakness, Luffa clenched her teeth in rage.  "I’ll… _kill_ you…” she muttered.  She wanted to say more, but she couldn’t manage.

Orij simply laughed.  "Well, as it turned out, I didn’t need your mother, because I had _you_.  By the time you were ten, I could tell you had potential to be an even stronger Saiyan than your mother.  Maybe it was because she was so insistent on training you.  Like she knew what to do for you, where my parents just left me to fend for myself.  Heh.  That’s a scary thought.  What if Saiyans relied on emotional attachments to get stronger?  Boy, that’d be rich.

“So I convinced her to take a job on Mandicore and arranged a little ‘communication failure’ so no one would show up to help her.  After that, I just had to make sure to cut off your progress so you wouldn’t become too strong for me to control.

"Why do you think we took that job on Dorlu Prime?  The Dorluns don’t have that much cash.  But their race has incredible survival traits that the Tikosi would find irresistable.  The Tikosi have other enemies, true, but Dorlu Prime was perfect because it was a barren world.  The perfect place to dump you, Luffa, while Kandai and I fought the Tikosi.

"Oh don’t look so surprised.  We _did_ fight them at first.  Really.  They’re not very talkative, you see, so it was the only way for us to make an impression.  We even let them get close enough to launch a few raids on the planet itself, just so they could get an idea of _your_ power.  But I made it clear to them that they wouldn’t actually get you _or_ the Dorluns unless they dealt with _me_ first.  I would have destroyed the colony before I let them take it by force.

"Once I won their respect, they were more receptive to my proposal.  I offered to abandon my defense of the colony and give them a Saiyan specimen to study.  In exchange, they agreed to apply whatever they learned to make me stronger.”

He stood up, raised his fists, and increased his _ki._  Luffa was horrified to see that he was far more powerful than he had been the last time they had spoken.

“Not bad, eh?”  he said.  "The Tikosi prefer to lay their eggs inside other species so their young can learn about them from the inside out.  But Saiyans aren’t compatible with that process.   So they have to study you the hard way.  For the same reason, a lot of the techniques the Tikosi use to transfer alien traits into their own genes don’t work with Saiyans.    But transferring traits from one Saiyan to another?  Oh, that’s easy.  They just never had a reason to try before I came along.  But don’t worry, they’ll still get plenty for their part.  They’ve learned a lot about energy manipulation from studying you.  I heard they spent a month inflicting fatal injuries on you, and then using regeneration therapy to bring you back from the brink of death.  Must have been hell for you, but that’s the only way they can learn about Saiyan powers.“

Luffa was livid.  Her whole life had been a lie.  Everything she had worked and fought for had been a diversion so her miserable coward of a father could claim it for himself.  And there was nothing she could do.

"At least…” she gurgled.  "At least have…the decency to kill me,“ she said.  "You’ve got what you wanted.”

Orij frowned.  "Don’t be stupid, girl.  I haven’t even _started_ yet.  The Tikosi tell me they’ve barely scratched the surface with you.  This project we’ve arranged could last for years.  I’m _already_ strong enough to raise an army to challenge King Revahl, but why stop there?  If the Tikosi can squeeze a little more power out for me by experimenting on you a while longer, then so be it.  Like I said, I’m amazed you lasted this long.  There’s no telling what more they can learn.  It’s true what they say.  Children really are a blessing!“

He laughed and turned his back on Luffa, leaving her to seethe in solitude.  She wanted him to stay, if only so he’d be close by if a miracle happened and she regained the use of her body.  Even if Orij was too strong to defeat, she would have preferred to die fighting.  At least she could _try_ to take revenge…

But instead, he left her behind, and all she could do was shut her eyes tightly and try to ignore the bitter tears that ran down her face.

An hour later, a Tikosi scientist entered the room.  He wiped Luffa’s face, examined her IV ports, and then injected a potent venom extract into her bloodstream.  The pain it caused her left her in agony for the next three days.

**NEXT: And a Child Shall Lead Them**


	7. Chapter 7

_**[10 December, 238 Before Age: Tikosi Hiveworld]** _

“Luffa?”

She knew the voice was familiar, but she couldn’t believe she was hearing it.  And it was so faint at first, like a dream, or a memory that was vivid enough to seem real.  

“Luffa, can you hear me?”

But it wouldn’t stop calling her name.  Luffa could barely turn her head to seek out the source of the voice.  She didn’t want to try.  What if there really was no one there, and she was simply having delusions?   Better to let her mind go and be done with it.  

Only she didn’t have to turn her head.  The speaker came to her.  It looked Tikosi at first, although her eyesight was so blurry that this was far from certain.  Then the colors shifted, changing from dark grey to a deep blue.  The hands that touched her were small and gentle, like a child’s…

“It’s me.  Keda.”

Luffa wanted to know how it was even possible.  Her lip trembled, but she couldn’t form the words.  Fortunately, Keda anticipated the question.

“When the colony fell, I ran for it.  I thought I’d be better off in the wild.  Like how you used to go out there to hunt for dinosaurs.  Well… I did all right, I suppose.  But then I found their ship, and I snuck aboard.”

Luffa couldn’t help but smile, however weakly.  This little twerp of a Dorlun had survived.  She might not have been much, but she had strength where it mattered.  

“Di…. disguise?” Luffa rasped.  

“I shape-shifted.  Coyto released my power before he left to parley with the Tikosi.  I need more practice, but I can mimic the Tikosi well enough to keep them from noticing me.”  She smiled proudly.  "I can even sneak food from their galleys.“

"Didn’t… know… c-could do that…” Luffa murmured.  

Keda rolled her eyes.  "I tried to tell you once, but you didn’t pay any attention,“ she explained.  "You always seemed more interested in talking about being a Saiyan.”  

“S….orry.”

“It’s okay.  What did they do to you?  I’ve been spying on the Tikosi who work in this area, and I heard them say they’ve got you drugged, but…”

“Keda….?” Luffa said.  It was getting easier to speak, now that she had someone to hear her.  But what she had to say was far more painful than the effort it took to talk.

“What is it, Luffa?”

“I… I need your… _help_ ,” she said through clenched teeth.  Every syllable was like a knife through her heart.  She would have died before asking anyone’s assistance, but death was no longer an option.  Here, in this putrid world full of torment, a mighty Saiyan had no choice but to beg a nine-year-old girl for succor.  

“Of course!” Keda said, taking Luffa’s limp hand into her own. “That’s why I’m here.”  

“Make it… make it up to you… someday,” Luffa added, letting the tears run down her face.  "I’ll avenge your people…“

"My grandfather always told me that revenge never added a minute to anyone’s life,” Keda said.  "He said it was a line from the Dorlun Holybook.  I’m not old enough to read it myself yet.“  

"Gra…pa… ’d have made a lousy Saiyan…” Luffa chuckled painfully.  

“I’ve got to find out what they’re doing to you.  Maybe I can reduce the dosage on whatever they’re giving you,” Keda said.  

“Keda…”

“What is it, Luffa?”

Luffa was sure she would regret this, but she could see no other choice.  

“Take… my… h-hand.   Put… on y'r face.”

“Why?”

“I can show you… my thoughts… might… help you.”  

Luffa hated to do this.  She had only discovered the power recently, and wasn’t sure how to control it when she was healthy.  In her current state, would it even work?  She couldn’t even move her hand.  

And what if the power worked too well?  What if she revealed all of her suffering to Keda?  Could her young mind withstand that sort of agony?  

But Keda had already placed Luffa’s palm against her cheek, her young face tightened with determination.  

“I didn’t know you knew telepathy, Luffa.  That’ll make my job a lot easier.  Just take your time.  I don’t want you to hurt yourself, okay?”  

Luffa put aside her doubts and concentrated.  To hell with her pride and her fear.  Keda was more than a child.  She was a Dorlun, and she had seen her own share of horror at the hands of the Tikosi.  She could handle this.  

Keda was stunned at first by the mental link, but she adjusted quickly.  Then she removed Luffa’s hand from her face and laid it gently at Luffa’s side.  

Luffa expected the girl to be disturbed by her recent memories.  Instead, the Durlun leaned over her and smiled knowingly.  

“You really did eat those clutch-birds for dessert,” Keda said.  

In spite of everything, Luffa couldn’t help but laugh.  

“That really helped, Luffa,” Keda said.  She patted the back of Luffa’s hand in a reassuring sort of way.  In another time and place, Luffa might have found this patronizing, but she was in no position to complain. There was a supreme confidence to Keda’s tone, even though it came from the nervous voice of a child.  "I know you were afraid to share your thoughts with me. I saw what your father did to you.  I know how hard it was for you to ask me for help.  It took great strength for you to endure all of this.  You have nothing to be ashamed of.“

Luffa swallowed hard and shut her eyes tightly.  She wanted to say that the girl didn’t understand, but perhaps she did after all.  

"I know what to do now,” Keda said.  "I’m going to get you out of here, Luffa.  I just need you to be strong for a little while longer…“

Luffa clenched her teeth.  That much at least, she could handle.  

*******

* * *

_**[15 December, 238 Before Age: Plutark VII]** _

Dr. Topsas had been filling out forms for weeks.  Since the debacle at the Deathmatch Tournament nine months ago, his private practice had experienced a significant decline in prestige.  The Tournament Committee had funded him well for his services during tournament season, and much of this he had reinvested in medical equipment and staffing.  

But the Saiyan had upset all of that.  When she forfeited the tournament and successfully defied the committee, the Plutarkian economy went haywire.  Plutark VII owed a lot to legalized gambling and bloodsport, and the Deathmatch Classic was the cornerstone of the entire thing.  The committee who organized the tournament each year represented some of the most powerful and influential beings in the system.  That perception was irreparably damaged by their failure to handle a single competitor.  

And this had not bothered Dr. Topsas one whit.  He had found the Deathmatches to be a dreadful business, but someone had to provide medical attention to those poor, deluded creatures.  The loss of income was substantial, but his species had few needs, and he himself had even fewer wants.  He seriously doubted there would even be a Deathmatch Classic next year, and he looked forward to spending that week treating patients who might actually let their wounds heal for a change.  

Still, he had been forced to lay off much of his support staff, and the smaller budget had forced him to change his plans to expand his office building, and this meant that he spent a lot more time filling out paperwork in a smaller office.  

"Ah, how the mighty have fallen, eh, Topsas?” he muttered contentedly to himself.  

He noticed a blinking light on the communication monitor sitting on his desk.  Topsas wondered why his receptionist had routed the call to his office without informing him first.  Then he remembered that the receptionist had given notice last week to find a better job.  Topsas cursed his poor recollection and tapped a button on the monitor with one of his eight limbs.  He hoped whoever was calling him had some good news.  

“Doctor Topsas,” said the woman whose image appeared on the monitor.  

“You!” Topsas gasped, his pedipalps fidgeting excitedly. “I never expected to see you again, little mammal.  You know you’ve left quite an impression on Plutark VII.  I ought to thank you, actually.”

“I need your help,” she said.  "We’re trapped on a hostile alien planet and my friend needs medical attention.“

Topsas leaned forward and steepled four of his hands.  "I see…” he said.  "My dear, I am not unsympathetic, but I do have responsibilities here.  He glanced over to the stack of papers on his desk and mulled it over.  "Then again, I suppose I might be able to delegate a few duties.  Yes, Dr. Hagee could manage until I got back.  Still, if this is a combat situation, you may find me less than suitable for the task…“

"It’s a stealth mission, sir,” the woman explained.  "I have it all planned out.  I just need you to trust me.“

Topsas gave a suspicious look to the monitor, although he doubted any non-arachnoid beings would be able to interpret his body language.  "Trust is a rather difficult thing when a shape-shifter is involved.  You look very much like my patient, but you don’t quite have her voice, do you?  And I see some subtle differences in the nose and cheeks…”

She sighed and relaxed her body, allowing it to shrink and change color until her true form was revealed.  Gone was the haughty Saiyan of beige skin and coal black hair, and in her place stood a little girl, blue-skinned, red-haired, and green eyed.  

“My name is Keda, Doctor.  I wasn’t trying to trick you, but I thought you might listen if I took the form of someone you knew.  Luffa’s too sick to do this herself.”

“You’re quite a talented mimic for your age,” Topsas said.  "Assuming this is indeed your true appearance.  Clearly you’re familiar with Ms. Luffa, or you wouldn’t have been able to imitate her as well as you just did.  But how do I know you are her friend, and not an enemy?“

"I thought of that, sir,” Keda said.  "I’ve got someone on the way to vouch for me.  He’s coming to help us whether you tag along or not, but I really think we need a doctor on this, and you’re the only one I know with experience treating Saiyans.“

Topsas exhaled slowly and stroked the bristles of his left pedipalp with his fingers.  "I shall hear him out, then,” he finally said.  "You’ve piqued my curiosity at least.“  

The child thanked him for his time and told him his contact would know where to go and what to do.  When she signed off, Dr. Topsas stared at the blank monitor for a few minutes.  He said a quiet prayer to his nine-eyed god that he wasn’t about to make a terrible mistake.

*******

* * *

_**[22 December, 238 Before Age: Tikosi Hiveworld]** _

The Tikosi Hiveworld was cloaked in mystery, even to those who knew of its existence.  That Keda even knew where it was had lent credence to her story.  Dr. Topsas had half-expected to be led on a wild goose chase.  

But his contact had turned out to be Wampaaan'riix, the massive Yetitan whom Luffa had spared in the climactic match of the Plutark Deathmatch Tournament.  His involvement came as no great surprise.  The shaggy giant owed Luffa his very life, and he might well have risked his safety on a possible hoax.  But there was more to it than that.  

Rumors had circulated that Luffa had spared the Yetitan because she had discovered a telepathic ability during their match.  She had read his mind and the intimacy of the contact had been too much for the normally ruthless Saiyan.  Killing him would have been like killing herself.  

Dr. Topsas had heard of these rumors, but since Luffa had survived that match with no injuries, he had never gotten a chance to perform an examination and investigate for himself.  Medically, he supposed it might have been possible.  Saiyans had certain telepathic abilities, and she had been pushing herself to greater and greater levels of power.  Perhaps her mental sensitivity had been sharpening to keep up with her physical strength.  

All doubt was laid to rest when Wampaaan'riix came to his office three days ago.  The Yetitan explained that Luffa had indeed read his mind that day, and apparently she had shared her own thoughts with the little blue shape-shifter.  And so Keda had known how to reach Wampaaan'riix on his homeworld, because Luffa had known.  And Keda had known what had happened at the tournament, and the names of Wampaaan'riix’s wives and children, and other trifling details that she could have only learned from Luffa.  

But the final voucher was the ship Wampaan'riix had flown to pick up Dr. Topsas.  It was a yacht owned by one of the richest men on the Plutark VII tournament committee.  It had been given to Luffa as a peace offering, and she had flown it into battle against the Tikosi.  It had remained in orbit around Dorlu Prime ever since, until Keda told Wampaaan'riix where to find it.

And so Topsas had agreed to join the Yetitan on his quest.  There were still questions he wanted answered, but there were enough pieces to the puzzle to convince him that it wasn’t an elaborate trap.  He knew little of the Tikosi or the Dorluns, but what little he did know told him that neither race engaged in such byzantine deceptions.  If they had wanted to get their hands on a humble (albeit extremely talented) arachnoid surgeon, then they could have simply kidnapped him on his way home from his office.  

"What I don’t understand,” he said to Wampaan'riix as they entered the Tikosi system, “is how such a young girl managed to arrange all of this.”

“She hasn’t,” Wampaan'riix warned.  "Not yet.  Her plan is impressive, but only if it works.“

"True,” Topsas admitted.  "But to even come up with such a thing would be a massive undertaking.“

"I have a daughter about her age,” Wampaan'riix said.  "She’s not quite so clever, but I often make the mistake of underestimating her because I fail to recognize how much she has grown.“  

"Why are you doing this, Yetitan?” Topsas asked.  "I know how you mammals cherish honor, and you feel you owe Ms. Luffa your life, but she may well be dead already.  Besides, her species relishes in this sort of danger.  Even if we do manage to save her, she may simply end up getting killed on some other planet someday.“

Wampaaan'riix regarded the doctor for a moment and snorted.  "As I see it, you owe her nothing at all, doctor,” he replied.  "This is an errand of mercy for you.  Is selfless compassion reserved for doctors?“

"Of course not,” he said.  "But you and Ms. Luffa are killers.  You each murdered six people to earn the right to murder one another.  I don’t presume to understand the Saiyan mind, but I think she spared you so you could *live*, and not die in an endless quest to repay the debt.“

"I think she and I both learned something in that contest,” Wampaaan'riix said.  "We went in seeking nothing more than to prove ourselves.  To grow mightier or die trying.  But in the end, we each found that strength alone is a hollow thing.  It’s what you do with it, doctor.  I suppose it’s like your ability to mend our wounds.  It’s not enough to _have_ that power.  You must _use_ it, and use it appropriately.“  

"I see,” Topsas said.  "She spared you because killing you was beneath her.  It would be like a lion stomping on a mouse.  A waste of talent.“

Wampaaan'riix grumbled.  "And I was a mouse picking fights with lions.  A waste of _my_ talent.  I might one day grow to match her power and face her as an equal, but challenging her _then_ was foolhardy.  Still a mouse might _save_ a lion, and this would be a very glorious thing indeed.”

“All this talk of mice is making me hungry,” Topsas said.  "Do we have time to ask the robot to prepare something for us?“

An alert beacon flashed on one of the bridge consoles, and Wampaan'riix leaned over to check it out.  "That’s Keda,” he said.  "She’s sending us the coordinates to make our approach.“

"What about the Tikosi?” Topsas asked nervously.

The Yetitan shook his hoary head.  "Still no sign they’ve detected us.  The modifications Keda sent me to make on the ship appear to be working.  All we have to worry about now is whether she’s finished the modifications on the hangar to prevent anyone from noticing it’s open for us.“

"Is there anything I can do to help?” Topsas asked.

“No.  The ship is programmed to follow her course.  I’ll keep an eye on things, but you should get ready, doctor.  No telling what we’ll find when we get down there.”

Topsas nodded and left the bridge to fetch his bag.  Suddenly, he didn’t feel so hungry anymore.

*******

* * *

**[23 December 238 Before Age: Tikosi Hiveworld]**

So far, Keda’s plan had been successful.  The young Dorlun had been living among the Tikosi for months, and she had made every second of that time as productive as possible.  

Each Dorlun had special powers, which were sealed away at a ceremony at their birth.  The power would be released once the Dorlun had demonstrated the maturity and resourcefulness to use it wisely.  Governor Coyto had hastily unleashed Keda’s powers because he feared that he might not have another chance later on.  If things had gone differently, she would have had a special evaluation by the community leaders and her family.  But the way of the Dorlun was to be flexible.  Coyto had told her that she would have to prove her worthiness, even without a ceremony.  She took those words to heart.  

She had slipped aboard the Tikosi vessel easily enough.  She was small, and knew how to stay out of sight.  Once aboard, she simply confined herself to the nooks and crannies of the ship, where the Tikosi were unlikely to look.  She spent her time practicing her shape-shifting powers.  

Eventually, she felt confident enough to leave the ship, and she found she was on the Tikosi’s home planet.  This concerned her at first, since her plan had been to get out on some other world and wait for them to leave.  But she decided to make the most of it, and spent the next few weeks sneaking around.   The hangar had led to a large complex, which seemed to resemble a bizarre hospital.  The walls were made of a smooth tan plastic, and a strange green adhesive seemd to fit everything into place.  One day, she managed to watch a group of Tikosi constructing a corridor, and she discovered that they fashioned both of these materials using secretions from their own bodies.  

When she was confident enough, she took the form of a Tikosi and found she could pass among them without incident.  This gave her better access to the facility, although she still preferred not to press her luck, and she stuck to ventilation ductwork wherever possible.  Her powers allowed her to become quite small when she needed to be, and that was better than looking like a Tikosi.  

Over time, she dedicated herself to studying the Tikosi language, in order to learn how to use their technology.  She had no clear purpose for this.  It improved her Tikosi disguise and if she ever met another Dorlun she could share vital intelligence with her people, so there were definitely advantages to the effort.  But her immediate plan was simply to find something to do.  

It was during this project that she discovered Tikosi scientific logs, and found out about the experiments they were conducting on a Saiyan specimen.  Keda sought to investigate, and eventually found Luffa languishing in a research chamber.  

And so Keda put many of her failsafe schemes into action.  She had learned ways to reprogram the Tikosi long range sensors so they would be unable to detect certain vessels.  She had learned how to override computer control over the hangar bays.  She had even found ways to alter duty schedules and reroute Tikosi laborers away from key locations.  Perhaps most importantly, she had learned to tap into their communications and send secret messages, like the ones she used to contact Wampaaan'riix and Dr. Topsas.  

It was a considerable risk to use all of these tricks for a single objective, but Keda felt it was worth it.  If it worked, she could leave the planet with Luffa along for the ride.  Failure would be frustrating, but not necessarily dangerous.  She had avoided the Tikosi for months, and she was sure she could continue to do so if necessary.  As for Luffa, the Tikosi seemed uninterested in killing her, so if they recaptured her she would be no worse off.  

The fate of Topsas and the Yetitan were less certain, however, but they understood the risks.  

She waited in the empty hangar as the star yacht landed inside.  Once the outer doors closed, Keda breathed a sigh of relief.  She could fool the Tikosi computers, but if any of them happened to spot an unfamiliar ship with their own eyes, the jig would be up.  When the passengers disembarked, she assumed her Dorlun form and waited at the hatch to greet them.  

“Welcome to Tikosi Hiveworld, gentlemen,” she said somewhat cautiously.  "I’m Keda.  Thank you for coming.“

"Where is Luffa?” Wampaaan'riix asked.  

“It’s called Research Annex 71,” Keda said.  "It’s about a kilometer from here.“

"Why so far away?” Topsas asked.  "You may be able to move freely here, child, but Wampaaan'riix and myself are sure to attract attention.“

"I know, I know,” Keda said.  "Listen, this was the closest hangar I could get.  I arranged for a service tunnel to be closed for maintenance.  It’ll be completely deserted and it’s almost a straight shot to where they’re holding Luffa.  I would have brought her here, except they’ve got her hooked up to a lot of monitoring devices.  I didn’t want to mess with those until the doctor could take a look.“  

"A sensible precaution,” Dr. Topsas said. “Well, lead on, my dear.” 

**NEXT: Gang aft agley**


	8. Chapter 8

_**[24 December, 238 Before Age: Tikosi Hiveworld]** _

The Tikosi Hiveworld wasn’t much to look at from orbit.  The surface was mostly barren wilderness, covered in ruddy brown clay.  Long ago, the Tikosi had discovered a means to synthesize nutritional materials, and they reasoned that all other life on their world was thus obsolete.  The forests and grasses were either driven to extinction by Tikosi industry, or they were deliberately eliminated to prevent them from becoming a possible threat.  

Orij always thought about that whenever he landed here.  The Tikosi were xenophobes, devoted solely to the preservation and advancement of their civilization.  They divided the universe into threats and resources.  When their native ecosystem ceased to be a resource to them, they deemed it a mortal enemy.  Trees unsettled them, so it wasn’t hard to guess how they felt about a Saiyan warrior using their planet as a base of operations.  

The only notable features on the surface were large, mound-shaped clusters.  These were Tikosi cities, all interconnected by underground tunnels.  Orij steered his craft for a particular mound on the edge of a particular cluster.  He re-entered his access codes and circled around while he waited for Tikosi airspace controllers to approve his flight plan.  It was ridiculous.  The Tikosi had already received his access codes when he first entered the system.  They would have opened fire on him before he ever reached the atmosphere otherwise.  But they relied on computer programs to handle their vast and complex protocols, and the programs required a second authorization to land.  

At last, his clearance was granted, and he brought his ship down on a large platform next to his apartment.  He deboarded and unloaded a massive crate from the hold, which he carried with one hand up to his doorstep.  Setting it down, he entered the apartment and found a Tikosi envoy waiting for him.  

“Well, fancy seeing you here, George,” he said dryly.  

The Tikosi had no names in the conventional sense.  They were a eusocial hive, a sapient version of ants or bees.  Each Tikosi individual was capable of independent thought, but they all devoted themselves to the same agenda, which was the good of their collective.  Accordingly, they preferred to think of themselves by their current function, rather than a permanent designation.  The envoy class were Tikosi specialized for contact with other species.  A xenophobic culture had little need for a diplomatic corps, but they did come in handy from time to time.  

This Tikosi thought of itself as simply “envoy”, although it could just as easily be reassigned to a worker or soldier class as needed.  In such a case, hormone treatments would enhance its strength to suit its new duties.  Only the king and queen of the Tikosi were permitted to breed, and so only they were given the royal jelly which allowed Tikosi physiology to express sexual dimorphism.  Were either of them to be killed unexpectedly, this envoy in Orij’s home was as likely as any other Tikosi to serve as a replacement.  It would be given royal jelly and converted to whichever gender was needed.  

Orij preferred to call the envoy “George” because he called all of the Tikosi “George”.  They didn’t object, and he found that it helped conceal just how much he had found out about them.  The Tikosi saw him as a resource, so they tolerated his presence on their planet, but only for the time being.  They day would come when he would outlive his usefulness to them, and he didn’t want them to know he had been studying them in secret to be ready for their betrayal.  

“Saiyan Orij, what is your current status?” George asked.  

“Never felt better,” Orij said proudly.  He puffed up his chest and pounded it with his fist.  But not too hard.  He had just purchased a gilded breastplate during his recent travels, and he didn’t want to ruin the craftsmanship.  

“Your business has been successful?” George asked.  

“Very successful,” Orij replied.  He walked into the kitchen and opened a bottle of wine.  "I’ve been making quite a name for myself, thanks to the powers you’ve given me.  People in this part of the galaxy are beginning to notice that I’m more than just a garden variety Saiyan.  Before long, word should spread to other Saiyans, and that’s when I’ll be able to make my move.“

"My superiors demand confirmation that you have not been traced to these coordinates,” George said.

“Your superiors…” Orij groaned.  "We go through this same song and dance _every_ time I come back here.“  

He filled his glass and gulped it down, getting wine on the sides of his face.  Then he set the glass down on the counter and poured himself another.  

” _No_ , George, I have ’ _not been traced to these coordinates_ ,’“ he said with derision.  "In point of fact, every being I run into is _very happy_ to see me leave.  They don’t care where I go, and they certainly don’t want to follow me and find out.”  

“Very well,” George said, indifferent to Orij’s annoyance.  

“Now you didn’t come all this way just to ask me a routine question,” Orij said, downing another glassful.  "C'mon, out with it.“

"There has been a complication with the research,” George announced.  

“Luffa _finally_ dropped dead, eh?” Orij said.  "Gotta admit, I’m impressed she lasted this long.  Makes a father proud.“

"No,” George said.  "The specimen still lives.  However her power no longer increases at the predicted rate.“

Orij fought an impulse to spit out his next mouthful of wine, and swallowed it only with considerable difficulty.  "Let me back up a bit, George.  I turned that daughter of mine over to your people, so that your scientists could study Saiyan powers.  Specifically, you were interested in how we get stronger after recovering from critical injury.” 

"Correct,” George said.  

“So you’ve been putting her through all kinds of torment, bringing her to the brink of death, only to restore her health.  Now she’s still on those drugs you came up with to keep her bedridden, right?”

“Correct,” George said.  "She is no danger to anyone in her present condition.“

"Well that is a relief,” Orij snorted.  "Because you’ve probably turned her into the _strongest Saiyan alive_ by now.  If she could stand up, she’d probably tear this whole planet in half.  I should know, because you’ve been analyzing the changes in her body, and you’ve found ways to artificially induce those changes in mine.  And I’m grateful, by the way, but I don’t see how it helps you people any.“

"The scientists report that their Saiyan-to-Saiyan experiments provide information on basic principles,” George explained.  "In time, perhaps decades from now, the Tikosi may find ways to adapt these principles for our own genetic structure, as opposed to your mammalian physiology.“  

Orij raised his glass and tilted it slightly.  "I’ll drink to that,” he said.  And he did.  "I guess I’m not seeing the problem, George.  Are your people _really_ so surprised to find that Luffa has limits?   It’s time to pull the plug.“  

"We refuse to abandon our research,” George insisted.  "The specimen is too valuable to destroy.“

"Well then, what do you want from me?” Orij asked.

“Our scientists wish to measure your current strength,” George explained.  "We suspect that the specimen has grown stronger than you, which means that we have been unable to isolate the final step in her power increase.“

Orij grunted.  "Fine.  I was going to cool my heels here for a while anyway.  I suppose I can play along with your tests, but this sounds like a waste of time to me.  Your ‘specimen’ is burned out, and you can’t bring yourselves to admit it.”

Truthfully it was Orij who was in denial.  The Tikosi knew their business, and they had no motive to lie.  There was a part of him which he preferred to ignore, one that had regretted leaving his only offspring in the clutches of these creatures.  At the time, he had salved his conscience by telling himself that Luffa would die relatively quickly.  

But she had _survived_ , lingering in constant pain with only spite and shame to occupy her thoughts.  He had miscalculated badly.  His daughter must have been hardier than he had ever imagined.  Either that, or the Tikosi scientific corps was much better at manipulating Saiyan physiology than he had expected.    Perhaps he had underestimated both. 

Any of these possibilities frightened the mighty Saiyan.  His enhanced power made him a force to be reckoned with in the galaxy, but he owed it all to the Tikosi, and what they could give, they might learn to take away.  

And if George was _right_ , if Luffa truly _had_ surpassed him over the course of her ordeal, then…!

No, it was ridiculous.  No matter how powerful Luffa became, she was carefully medicated at all times.  What good was unprecedented strength if she couldn’t lift a finger to use it?

Unless… she became even _more_ powerful.  So powerful that the Tikosi’s precautions might not be enough to contain her.  But that was impossible!  Surely there had to be _some_ sort of limit to…

Orij poured himself another drink.

“When do you want me to show up for testing?” he said, though not quite as casually as he hoped.  

George produced a datapad from his satchel and began tapping the surface with his segmented digits.  "The  science class must first consult with the scheduling computers for the most efficient…“

Orij had never known any of the Georges to trail off in mid-sentence before.  "What is it?” he asked.  

“There is an intruder alert,” the Tikosi said.  "An unidentified vessel has been found in Hangar 212K.“

"I’m impressed,” Orij scoffed.  "How did anyone manage to land on this rock without being shot down from orbit?  I can barely do it myself, and I’m authorized to be here.“

"Investigation teams are being assembled to swarm the craft.  Computer crews are swarming all relevant programs and datalogs for diagnostics.”  George sounded like he was giving a report to his superiors, but there was no one else in the room except for Orij.  Soon he ceased speaking altogether, and began clicking his manibles excitedly.

He had never seen a Tikosi this upset.  Even in battle, they had been perfectly calm in the face of death.  It seemed that they feared uncertainty more than extinction. Faced with an unknown element in the heart of their civilization, the Tikosi could only fall back on their extensive protocol.  Small talk with a Saiyan clearly wasn’t included in those plans.  

Orij ignored the Tikosi, picked up his wine bottle and headed for his bedroom.  He expected that George would show himself out.  Before he could take a third step, he noticed a peculiar smell.   Sniffing at the air, he quickly realized that it had been coming from George.  

“This residence is to be quarantined for the duration of the emergency,” George announced.  "Do not resist.“

"What the hell is wrong with you?” Orij demanded.  "You think _I_ had something to do with that alien ship?  I’ve been off-planet for _days_.  You people have been monitoring me ever since I came back.“  

"Do not resist,” George repeated.  

Around him, Orij heard the sounds of hundreds of Tikosi soldiers swarming outside his apartment.  He looked out a window and the view was obscured by several of their bodies.  They were literally covering the entire building, or so it seemed.  

Orij suspected that George’s sudden odor was a signal of some kind.  It was all useless of course.  Orij was strong enough to fight his way back to his ship if he needed to.  But the Tikosi would simply shoot him down if he tried to leave the planet.  Whether the Tikosi truly suspected him was immaterial.  Their procedures would have them lock down any foreign being on the planet’s surface until the situation was under control.  

And so he turned back to the kitchen, pulled out a second and third bottle of wine, and resumed his path to bed.  

*******

* * *

“They know we’re here!”

Wampaaan'riix had been extremely impressed with Keda in the short time they had known each other.  Though only a child, she had been very calm and collected as she had led them through the tunnels to find Luffa.  She had done something to fool the Tikosi security systems, and while he did not understand her methods, her skill had been undeniable.  

But now, as alert lights blinked over the doors, and a faint odor wafted through the corridors, Keda sounded much, much more like the little girl she truly was.   He scooped her up in his massive white arms and ran for the laboratory chamber to fetch the doctor.  

“We’re in trouble!” she stammered, still trying to maintain an air of command about the situation.  "My… my whole plan depended on staying hidden!  If they find the ship they’ll disable it before–“

"Let us worry about ourselves first, Keda,” the Yetitan said.  "We’ll join the doctor and at least that will get us out of these corridors so they won’t spot us right away.“

Up to now, the two of them had been waiting in the hallway while Dr. Topsas examined Luffa.  He had been working on her for hours, and the laboratory chamber wasn’t very spacious, and so they had kept an eye on the corridors for any sign of trouble.   Wampaaan'riix found the open room and dove inside.  He released Keda, who quickly tapped in the keys on the doorjamb that would seal the room.  

"The Tikosi have detected us, doctor,” Wampaaan'riix said.  

“Indeed?” Dr. Topsas muttered.  Luffa lay motionless on a large metal table which stood in the center of the room.  The arachnoid physician was perched over her in a bizarre pose.  Two of his limbs clutched the edge of the table, straddling Luffa’s head.  A third reached up and gripped a nearby monitor station to balance himself.  The remaining five limbs swung about in every direction as he ministered to his patient.  To an uninformed observer, it might have looked like a scene from a horror story, with Dr. Topsas as a hideous monster hunched over his helpless prey.

“I think I can keep them from finding us for a while longer,” Keda said.  She had already moved to a computer terminal and altered her shape to produce the segmented limbs the Tikosi used to operate it.  "This room is supposed to be locked anyway, and they won’t bother looking if they don’t expect us to be here.  I can send false signals to other parts of the city… decoys to throw them off our trail.  But I have to be careful.  Chances are they already suspect someone has tampered with their computer network.“  

"How is she, doctor?” Wampaaan'riix asked.  He stood at the foot of the table and leaned over Luffa’s body, mainly because the ceiling was too low for him to stand at full height.  

“Stable,” Topsas explained.  Two of his eyes glanced up at Wampaaan'riix, while the other six remained fixated on his work.  "I’ve removed most of the implants and restraining devices.  There are a lot of superficial injuries, but on the whole she appears to be in excellent health.” 

“Can you bring her around?” Wampaaan’riix asked.

Topsas was confused by the question.  “I suppose so, but why?  She has been through a terrible ordeal.  I’d much rather let her rest–”

“Doctor, _they know we’re here_ ,” Wampaaan’riix roared.  “Keda can buy us some time but we have to assume the worst.  Even if we can get back to the ship–”

“We can’t!” Keda called from her terminal.  “The hangar is crawling with security.”

“Even if we had a ship,” Wampaaan’riix amended, “they’d shoot us down before we reached orbit.   We’ll have to fight our way out, and Luffa’s our best hope of that.”

“I can’t be sure of her mental state,” Topsas warned.  “Based on the scar tissue I’ve found, the devices I’ve removed, the medication she’s been given… the trauma may have driven her insane.  She might not be able to tell friend from enemy.”

“I’ve been her enemy before,” Wampaaann’riix said.  “I’ll take my chances.”

*******

* * *

A squad of Tikosi security forces descended over the Research Complex from the northwest.  Their orders were to quarantine the facility until the intruders could be located.  Although the Saiyan located in the Complex was incapacitated, the Tikosi took no chances when it came to the security of their Hiveworld.  They would guard a helpless prisoner with the same numbers they used to battle an enemy army in the field.  

Without warning, the entire squad was pulverized in a flash of light.  

When the light faded, and the dust had cleared, half of the Research Complex had been reduced to rubble.  Luffa stood at the edge of what remained of the fifth floor, her outstretched palms still roiling with energy.   Dr. Topsas feared that she might be hyperventilating.  

“Luffa what are you doing?” Keda asked.  “They’ll find us for sure now!” 

“There were Tikosi flying in from that direction,” Wampaaan’riix explained.  “I could sense their approach.  She must have decided it was an attack.  Maybe it was.” 

Luffa lowered her head and clutched at tufts of her thick black hair.   Her eyes were shut tightly and her rapid breathing whistled through her clenched teeth.  

“We need to get out of the city,” Wampaaan’riix suggested.  “They’ll have a harder time finding us out in the wilderness, away from their technology.  Keda, is there anything out there we can use?”

“Not much,” she said, rubbing her chin thoughtfully.  “It’s pretty barren.  But I could sneak back into the city on my own and bring back supplies.  It’d at least give us a chance to plan our next move.”

Dr. Topsas approached Luffa cautiously, raising two of his limbs in a non-threatening gesture.  “You’re all right, Ms. Luffa.  Just take it easy.” 

She turned to look at the doctor and she sank to her knees.  “How did you…?” she began to ask.  “Wait… Keda brought you here…. didn’t she?”

“It’s a long story,” Topsas said.  “How do you feel?”

Her eyes darted downward, as though checking to make sure her body was still where she had left it.  “What… what’d they do to me, doc?  I… I feel like… I don’t know.”  

“Your body isn’t used to being up and around again,” Topsas guessed.  

“No… I…”  She laid her hands on her lap and stared at them, curling her fingers like she had never seen them before.  

”Luffa, we need to go now,” Wampaaan’riix said.  “There are more Tikosi coming this way, and we–”

Her eyes snapped open and she whirled around to face him.  “No!” she shouted.  “No!” 

She began to scream, and what remained of the building began to shake.  

“Doctor?” Wampaaan’riix called. 

“Luffa I improre you to calm down!” Topsas said.   “We’ve got to–!” 

But their pleas were cut off as Luffa _t_ hrust her palms to the floor and fired a _ki_ blast beneath her.In an instant, what little remained of the Complex came crashing down around them.  

**NEXT: Reap the Whirlwind.**


	9. Chapter 9

_**[24 December, 238 Before Age.  Tikosi Hiveworld]** _

The next thing Luffa knew, she was buried under tons of debris.  Specifically, it was the remains of what had once been the Tikosi science lab which had held her captive for most of the past year.  

The weight of all this rubble pressed against her from all sides, and she panicked.  It reminded her too much of the weeks she spent trapped in her own body, virtually paralyzed by Tikosi pharmaceuticals while they performed their craven experiments.  For the third time in twenty minutes, she lost control of her powers and unleashed an explosive wave of _ki_ in all directions.  

She opened her eyes to find that the blast had freed her from the wreckage.  The mangled corpses of Tikosi soldiers were strewn everywhere.  They had tried to come after her from the lower floors of the structure, and she had fired a _ki_ blast down at them on reflex.   Thinking back on it, it wasn’t the brightest of moves.  She rolled onto her knees and slowly stood up.  Her feet tingled from the weight of her body, as she still hadn’t gotten used to walking upright yet.  The medical gown she had been wearing was tattered and dusty, but it had miraculously held together.  She suspected it had been made of some lightweight, reinforced material.  She had no expertise in high-performance textiles, but thinking about it helped distract her from her fragile emotional state.

Luffa stared at her hands and realized they were shaking.  She tried to stop them, but she couldn’t.  Logically, she knew that she had been in worse situations than this.  She had faced wild animals and vicious foes, and she had faced them with a mere fraction of the strength she now possessed.  But she still found herself gripped by a fear she had never experienced before.  The Tikosi weren’t simply a threat.  They represented a horror she had never imagined until she had encountered them.  Luffa was a Saiyan, born to fight and roam and struggle for its own sake.  The Tikosi had taken that from her, turned her body into a prison, and left her to suffer in isolation.  

She felt strong, stronger than she had ever felt before.  She wondered if she had ever felt a power as great as the _ki_ that surged inside of her.  And yet, no matter how powerful she felt, her resolve melted at the thought of the Tikosi.  Sooner or later, they would swarm and overwhelm her, and take her away to some other dark hole where she would lie awake at night longing for a death that would never come–

Luffa collapsed into the dust and curled up into a fetal position.  She felt her dark hair between her fingers, and recalled how the Tikosi had shaved it off so they could cut her open like a medical school cadaver.  They had let her hair grow back, not out of mercy, but because they could always shave it off again when necessary.  She felt a warm trickle on her face and realized it was her own tears.  

Almost instinctively, her tail wrapped around her waist.  She looked at the tip of it and tried to remember who she was.  Her tail had been a reminder of her inner strength, her Saiyan pride.  Like all Saiyans, her tail had been her greatest weakness but she had made it strong.  When she looked at her tail now, she could only recall the agony she felt when the Tikosi vivisected it.  They had apparently restored it to normal, but the awful memory remained.  

She despised herself.  None of this had been her fault, but she despised herself nonetheless.  Here she was, a mighty Saiyan warrior, reduced to a quivering wreck.  Like so many others of her race, she had used the word “coward” as an insult, but now she felt the word in the very core of her being.  She vaguely remembered Keda telling her that she had nothing to be ashamed of, but now it seemed like empty talk.

At long last, she remembered that Keda and the others had been with her when the building had collapsed.  She flailed about in the ruins, trying to decide how to find them before remembering she could sense their presence by searching for their _ki._  

But before she could begin, a massive, hairy arm burst up from loose rock and dirt and Wampaaan'riix emerged, carrying Keda.  Luffa could only stare at them as they scrambled to their feet.

“Where’s Dr. Topsas?” Wampaaan'riix asked.  "I had him when the building fell, but I lost him when you fired off again.  Beerus take me, what’s the matter with you, Luffa?  You’ll get us all killed!“

She tried to answer, but couldn’t find the words.  Wampaaan'riix had known fear.  Luffa had seen it in his mind when she had been preparing to kill him.  But it was nothing compared to the despair that now ruled in her own heart.  With utter certainty, she knew that he could never understand, and she prayed to anything that would listen that Dr. Topsas could forgive her.  

"We still have to get out of here,” Keda said after clearing the dust from her throat.  "Can you fly, Wampaaan'riix?  I don’t think Luffa’s in any shape to travel under her own power.  You’ll have to carry us both.“

"We have to find the doctor first,” the Yetitan protested.  

“There’s no time!” Keda said.  "Two squads of Tikosi have already approached this place, and the destruction will just attract more!  We have to make for the wastelands or they’ll catch us for sure!“

"I won’t just leave him!” Wampaaan'riix demanded.  

But it was already too late.  Luffa sensed it first.  Her impulse was to lash out once again with her powers, but she was afraid of what might happen to Keda and Wampaaan'riix if she did.  The dual terrors kept her in check, and Wampaaan'riix was too distracted looking for Topsas to notice the insectoid creatures gathering around the crater that had once been the Research Complex.

To her credit, Luffa rose to her feet.  She was still confused and unsteady, but a lifetime of combat training had instilled habits which would die hard.  Wampaaan'riix took up a defensive posture, keeping Keda by his left leg in a feeble effort to protect her.  

But the Tikosi had no intention of fighting on these terms.  Instead, the ring of insectoid creatures simply stood their ground, while one of their number leveled a large rifle and fired a canister into the crater.  The shot was poor, and the projectile landed several feet away from Luffa, but it didn’t need to be accurate.  After a moment the shell burst open, and a cloud off thick smoke billowed out of the fissure.  

In seconds all three of them were struggling to breathe.  Keda tried to flee in search of a place upwind of the gas, but she tripped and fell after only a few steps.  Wampaaan'riix tried to take flight, but the Tikosi had prepared for this.  Several more of them used firearms of their own, only these launched darts laced with a potent tranquilizer.  The attack was enough to send the large Yetitan crashing back to the ground.  He struggled to resist the gas and the darts, but his efforts were as futile as they were valiant.  

Luffa watched him collapse, then she turned to see the Tikosi sharpshooters take aim at her.  The first volley of darts struck her on all sides.  She scrambled to pull them out off her shoulders and back before they could take effect, but the gas was taking its own toll, and soon she found herself back on her knees, laying face down in the dirt.  

It was all up too Luffa, but she couldn’t bring herself to act.  Her body still ached from the Tikosi experiments.  Her heart was frozen with dread.  Her mind raced with anxieties she was sure no Saiyan had ever experienced before.  

This was it then.  The Tikosi had managed to amplify her strength far beyond what she had thought was possible, but she couldn’t bring it to bear.  She may have been the strongest Saiyan alive.  The strongest Saiyan who ever lived.  What difference did it make?  Her companions were doomed, and she could do nothing to save them.  They had risked everything to rescue her like a helpless infant, and she was powerless to protect them.  She struggled to her feet again, sick and unsteady, with a thousand Tikosi bearing down on her, ready and able to put her back into the torment of their experimentation chamber.  

She seethed with rage.  Her fists became so tight that her fingernails began to dig into the flesh of her palms.  She wasn’t angry at the Tikosi, or her father, or her husband, or anyone else.  In that blood-red moment, those hated foes had ceased to exist.  

All she could feel was a blinding fury at her own inadequacy.  To come so far, but no further.  It was all pointless.  _She_ was pointless.  Every moment of hardship and perseverance had been for nothing.  She had won the privilege of a slow, futile death on an alien planet.  

She was hyperventilating.  Her eyes widened and her brow knitted as she stared into nothing at all.  Every so often, she made a shrieking noise as her emotions struggled to vocalize her despair.  

And then…?  Something tore apart inside of her.  In that instant, Luffa was sure that she had died.  Something deep within her had shifted so abruptly that she thought her body had finally failed her.  

But she _lived_.  And a torrent of power burst loose from her.  

Luffa felt like she was exploding.  Her body was engulfed in flame but it was never consumed.  Every nerve tingled with more energy than she had ever known, but she managed to hold herself together.  She heard a blood-curdling wail, and then she realized it was her own voice.  

Gradually, she began to regain her perception of the world around her.  The sickness and pain were gone now, purged from her body by the fire that coursed through her veins.  Her aura glowed all around her as it normally did when she charged her _ki_ , but it was far more intense than she had ever known it to be.  

She looked at her hands and began to realize that her entire body was shining with an ethereal golden light.  She saw the bloody marks where her nails had pierced her palms, and she remembered the rage that had caused them.  The rage.  

The rage.

THE RAGE.

Then she fixed her gaze on the advancing Tikosi.  Her contempt for them had been magnified a thousand-fold.  In this single moment, she knew only that she would destroy anyone who dared to get in her way.  She needed to _fight_ , to _kill_ , to _destroy_.  And where better to begin than here, with the Tikosi?

For all their indomitable will, for all their willingness to sacrifice themselves to overwhelm their enemies, the Tikosi had halted their advance.  Now, as she turned her icy stare toward them, a few Tikosi began to nervously step backward.  

She pointed at them and fought the urge to launch an energy blast from her fingertip.  "No…“ she said, her voice raw and ugly from screaming.  "You won’t leave this place.  Stand and _fight me_.  It’s the only chance you have.”

Slowly, she walked towards them.  Her left cheek twitched and she found herself giddy with anticipation.  She was going to kill.  She was going to **kill them all** , and there was _nothing_ they could do to stop it.

The Tikosi seemed to recognize the truth of this.  They prepared for battle, but it was a hopeless gesture.  Luffa was upon them before they could even react.  With a single punch she ripped a dozen soldiers into pieces.  Their numbers were enough to cope with a normal Saiyan, but she had become something far greater.   Against this power, their numbers only delayed the inevitable.  

A single Tikosi managed to land a miraculous punch on Luffa’s jaw.  She was completely unaffected.  Rather, the Tikosi’s hand was consumed by yellow energy, and it shrieked with pain as it clutched its wounded limb.  Luffa laughed cruelly at the sight of it.

“Tell them,” she growled, grabbing the wounded Tikosi by the neck.  "Go and _tell_ every one of your people, you festering maggot. _You’re all going to die_.“

*******

* * *

Not far away, Wampaaan'riix and Keda began to recover.  Luffa’s sudden burst of power had dispersed the gas, and while the tranquilizers were potent, the duration of their effect was quite short.  When they realized they were alone and unharmed, Wampaan'riix immediately began to search the vicinity for signs of _ki_ energy.  Luffa’s was impossible to ignore.  

Keda found her too, using ordinary eyesight.  "Wampaaan'riix!” she cried, pointing at the glowing yellow figure flashing in the distance.  "What _is_ that?“

"It’s Luffa,” he answered, not quite believing it himself.  "Or it _was_ , at any rate.  I have no idea what’s happened to her.  She’s become stronger than… maybe everything.  I just don’t know.“

"We have to go,” she insisted.  "The Tikosi might come after us again.“

"I don’t think they can,” Wampaaan'riix said darkly.  "Luffa’s too strong for them now.  They can’t afford to worry about us.“

Keda wasn’t sure how to take this news.  "Well… that’s great, right?  We can find someplace safe and wait until she defeats them.”  

Wampaaan'riix shook his head.  "We need to find the doctor, Keda.  I think Luffa will need his help.  And soon.“

Keda nodded slowly.  "Sure… I mean, if we’re not in any danger, I can probably sniff him out.”  Her body shrank and distorted, assuming the form of a small, four legged predator.  She scampered around, poking her snout in various places.  

Wampaaan'riix stared at the horizon and watched the flashing lights of Luffa’s battle.  Keda couldn’t understand his concern, and he saw no use in explaining it to her.   He didn’t understand how this had happened, but his senses told him that Luffa had changed into something more horrible than every Tikosi in the universe.  

The only question now was whether Luffa could change _back_.

*******

* * *

It was EASY.  How had she ever allowed herself to fear such weak little creatures?  She simply had to let her power flow through her, fall back on her deepest, darkest instincts.  Let the beast within her take control, and wage _endless war_ until there was nothing left but _ashes_.   She cut through them like a scythe through wheat.  Her gown was stained red with Tikosi blood, and her bare hands were starting to match.

She looked at her hands, enjoying the way her golden aura rippled and flashed across the red.  

They were still trembling.

A new wave of Tikosi arrived.  They had given up on their usual tactic of overwhelming force, and now they tried to employ more complex attacks.  The soldiers paired off and flew at her from different angles, always trying to flank her.  Luffa decided to play along, and evaded them as though they posed any threat.  They herded her into range of a massive surface-to-air cannon, which opened fire.  She was engulfed in green plasma, but her _ki_ protected her.  When the weapon had discharged, she remained where she was, completely unharmed.

“What was _that_ supposed to be?” she scoffed.

Without waiting for an answer, she pointed her index and middle finger at the nearest airborne Tikosi and impaled it with a beam of crimson light.  She continued this attack, and just to make it more interesting, she maneuvered around to line up her shots, taking out two or more of them in a single line of fire.

Finally, she threw her hands above her head and created a sphere of white _ki_ energy about the size of her head.  She launched it down on the surface-to-air weapon, straight down its barrel.  Below, she saw Tikosi fleeing the enormous gun, but they weren’t fast enough to escape the tremendous explosion that followed.  Another wave of soldiers approached, and Luffa didn’t bother toying with these.  Rather than wait for them to arrive, she closed in on them, and incinerated most of them with a fiery blast from her palm.

She spared only two, and before they could register their surprise, she grabbed one in each hand, choking their thin tube-like necks.

“Tell the others,” Luffa snarled.  "Tell them I’m going to destroy every weapon I find on this planet unless they find a way to stop me.“

She laughed bitterly, and stared into the red eyes of the Tikosi in her right hand.

"I want you to tell them all what’s waiting for them,” she said.  "Watch closely.“

She tilted her wrist to give the Tikosi a better view of the one in her right hand.  This one seemed to understand what it was in for, and it squirmed and struggled vainly to escape.

Luffa increased her _ki_ , and her aura flared to twice its normal size as she summoned even more power.  Then she shunted it into her right hand, and onward into the Tikosi’s body.

The Tikosi in her left hand widened its four red eyes in terror as its comrade began to glow yellow.  Cracks started to form in its exoskeleton, and its body expanded slightly.  It gasped, then it made a noise that sounded vaguely like a squeal, but this was merely the release of superheated gas from the fissures of its body.  At last, the Tikosi burst apart, covering Luffa and her remaining captive with burning viscera.

” _Tell them_ …“ Luffa said with a twisted smile.  She floated to the ground and gently set it on solid ground.  It backed away fearfully, and Luffa rocketed into the air to find her next target.

*******

* * *

Like the Saiyans, all Tikosi possessed a measure of telepathic ability.  While Saiyans had to enhance their mental powers through physical training, the Tikosi activated their latent telepathy by hormonal manipulation.  To ensure clear lines of communication in an emergency, only officers in the soldier class were allowed to use this power, and only to provide field reports to the Tikosi high command.

In a fortified bunker deep beneath the planet’s surface, the high command reviewed the situation as it unfolded.  Through their soldiers in the field, they had received Luffa’s messages, but they were unable to formulate a response.  

"Evacuation impossible,” one of them said in their inscrutable language of clicks and pheromones.  "Too many of us.  Insufficient ships.“

"At least move king and queen to Redoubt Colony 4,” another proposed.  "Highest priority remains breeding.“

"Pointless,” argued a third.  "Pointless!“  Brood relies on technology, on scientific data available on Hiveworld.  To relocate such infrastructure impossible.  The brood will be inferior if gestation on Redoubt 4.”

“Brood will be _dead_ on Hiveworld at current rate!” the second Tikosi insisted. “Must adapt to survive.”

“Partial evacuation impossible,” the first Tikosi countered.  "The specimen would likely destroy all vessels during takeoff.  Evacuating king and queen would only reveal their location.“

"Hiveworld is secret, Hiveworld is sacred, Hiveworld is sanctuary,” a fourth Tikosi said.  "If the specimen drives us from this world, is Tikosi _truly_ safe anywhere else?“

The room fell silent, as the true nature of the dilemma became clear to them.  The Tikosi had thrived for centuries following a strict, dogmatic approach, and now it had failed them.    They could escape, but only by abandoning much of their security and prosperity.  Or they could stand and fight, but they would have to accept the likelihood of defeat.

"I once served in science corps for multiple cycles,” one of them finally said.  "Recall test subject requesting a concept designated ‘mercy’.  It was of no concern then.  'Mercy’ would have suspended vital experimentation for advancement of Tikosi brood.  Now…. I acknowledge 'mercy’, for now Tikosi require it.“

"Is 'mercy’ possible?” another asked.  "A barter might be arranged.  'Mercy’ in exchange for concessions.“

"Tikosi _never_ concede!” cried a hardliner in the group.

“Tikosi _must_ surrender,” another insisted.  "No alternative available.“

"Specimen will not _accept_ surrender,” a Tikosi chattered.  It was visibly disturbed by the situation, and it began to panic.  "Specimen seeks only annihilation of Tikosi. Nothing can stop her.  Even if evacuation conducted, she will follow until all are dead.  Tikosi will die.   _Tikosi will die!“_

"No!  Tikosi can win!  Tikosi can survive!”

The council devolved into an argument over this single issue.  Half of their number had become resigned to an inevitable death, while the rest began to propose increasingly ridiculous suggestions to repel the Saiyan.  Being so accustomed to success, the Tikosi high command was completely unprepared to cope with failure on such a scale.

“Activate the Destroyer class!” demanded one Tikosi.

“Impossible!  Destroyers are defective breed.  Unstable!”

“They are Tikosi!  They will defend their own!  Send command!  Send command!”

The majority of the council favored this idea, and so it was put into motion.  But those who had opposed questioned whether they had traded one disaster for another.

*******

* * *

Luffa had made good on her threats.  She had destroyed dozens of planetary defense weapons. The Tikosi had maintained their attacks, but she had shrugged them off like the ants they resembled.

As she bombarded an anti-spacecraft gun with rapid-fire blasts, she sensed a powerful _ki_ emerging from the planet’s southern polar region.  Curious, she launched herself toward it, putting on as much speed as she could muster.

The journey had taken only minutes, and when she arrived, she found a tremendous fissure in the earth.  Something from below was forcing its way up to the surface.

Luffa smiled and licked her lips.  It seemed the Tikosi were finally ready to pull out the stops.

The creature that came up from the fissure looked like a Tikosi, except it was several times more massive, and its features were distorted.  Luffa suspected that it was some kind of mutant.  Her father had said they experimented on their own kind to enhance their species, and so this must have been one of them.  Still, she couldn’t tell whether it was a success or a failure.

The giant made a hideous screeching noise as it finally pulled its bulk clear of the fissure.  It took one look at Luffa and leaped towards her to attack.

Its speed impressed Luffa, but its reflexes seemed dull.  There was no telling how long it had lain dormant underground.  She toyed with it for a while, then delivered a series of punches to its thorax, and followed up with a knee to its back.

The massive creature stumbled but didn’t fall.

Luffa took this as a challenge, and redoubled her efforts.  She attacked its legs this time, flying in at high speed and driving her fists into the back of one knee.  When she emerged on the other side, she fired a ki blast at the other leg.

The monster toppled over and flailed its arms wildly.  Before Luffa could mock the helpless beast, she sensed a second one coming to life from underground.  Then a third, and a fourth.

She picked up the severed limb of the first monster and waved it in the air like an oversized club.  She planned to enjoy this.

*******

**NEXT: Too Primitive to Control It?**


	10. Chapter 10

_**[24 December, 238 Before Age.  Tikosi Hiveworld]** _

The Tikosi envoy had stayed in Orij’s apartment the entire time.  He had forbidden Orij from leaving, and the Saiyan had no plans to leave anyway, and so he fell into a deep, drunken slumber in his bedroom.  The envoy, which he had named ‘George’, stayed put, occasionally contacting its superiors for updates via a handheld communicator.

Orij’s nap was interrupted when George entered the bedroom and made a shrill, high-pitch noise to awaken him.  The Saiyan was irritated, but not entirely surprised.

“What is it now?” he asked.  "You already told me not to leave.  I’m staying here as hard as I can, George.“

"The situation has deteriorated,” George explained.  Tikosi High Command wishes to enlist your aid.

“Is that right?” Orij said.  He was eager to put the Tikosi in his debt, but he feigned ambivalence to secure a more favorable negotiation.  "That wasn’t part of our bargain, George.  I traded Luffa for power and a place to live.  If your people want me to clean up your messes, it’ll cost you.“

"Name your price, Saiyan,” George said hurriedly.

“Not so fast, George, not so fast,” Orij said.   _This was perfect_ , he thought to himself.  Whatever had happened, the Tikosi were clearly desperate enough to give him anything he asked for.  But desperate clients weren’t always realistic ones, and so he wanted to know what he’d be getting into.  "What’s the situation?“

"The specimen has escaped,” George began.  Orij shot him a look as if to say “Oh is that all?”, but George’s next words put an end to his smugness.

“She has… _transformed_.”

“There’s no moon in this system,” Orij objected.  "What are you talking about?“

"She has not become what you call an ’oozaru’,” Geroge explained.  "This is an entirely _new_ form.  The science corps is unable to account for it.“

"Your people should have thought about that before they started messing with her,” Orij scoffed.  "One of your little alterations must have triggered some sort of mutation.“

"Incorrect,” George said.  "The science corps never altered the specimen’s genes or physiology.  The transformation is not our doing.“

"But you did change _my_ body to make it stronger, and you’re hoping I can put Luffa down,” Orij said.  "How bad is it?“

Sixty percent of all soldier class Tikosi are dead.  Much of rest have gone into hiding.  Your quarantine is ended, as the soldiers enforcing it have been redeployed to cope with the greater threat.”

Orij rolled out of bed and walked into the living room.  The windows were now completely clear.  In the distance, he could see the rest of the city, and an ominous cloud of black smoke rising from it.

“You know, she probably just wants to leave,” Orij said.  "Set up a ship where she can find it, and then just shoot it down when she reaches orbit.  Even if she survives, the vacuum of space should finish her.

“Impossible,” George said.  "She has destroyed all planetary defense systems.  We can no longer stop her from leaving, and yet she continues her attack.“

Orij felt a drop of sweat run down his face.  Luffa was either insane from her captivity, or she was consumed with exacting revenge.  Either way, Orij suddenly felt a pressing need to get off the planet.  How fortunate that Luffa had provided him with an opening.

"All right George,” he said. “I’ll take the job.  We can discuss payment when I’m finished.  Are there any soldiers left in this area?  I might want to use them for my plan.”

“No,” George replied.  "All soldiers have been deployed against the specimen.  I am the only Tikosi in this vicinity.  What is your plan?“

"Calm down, George,” Orij said.  He held up his hands in a reassuring gesture.  "I’ll tell you everything, but you don’t need to worry.  Luffa won’t kill _you_.“

Then he grabbed George by the throat and raised it high above his head.

"See, _I_ plan to kill you long before she ever gets the chance!” he laughed.

George clawed at Orij’s hand, desperate to free itself, but the Saiyan only squeezed harder.

“See, I figure the only way to kill her for _certain_ is to blow up the entire planet from space!” he said.  "Of course, that probably wouldn’t sit well with you Tikosi, but I think you and Luffa will be too busy fighting each other to stop me.  So I’ll just hop in my ship and fly up to a safe distance, take my shot, and then go on my merry way.“

George flailed wildly, then went limp.  Orij released his grip, and vaporized George’s body with an energy blast before it even hit the ground.  

“On second thought,” he said, “Forget about me fee, George.  I’ll do this one for free.”

*******

Luffa surveyed her handiwork at the southern pole.  A dozen overgrown Tikosi lay in mangled heaps.  They had been powerful, and she suspected that they may have been a secret weapon summoned only out of desperation, but they were no match for the thing she had become.  

She closed her eyes and reached out with her senses, scanning for any other large powers that might put up a better fight.  There were none.  The Tikosi soldiers remained, but they had become completely disorganized, and were now scattered across the planet in a vain attempt to escape her wrath.  The largest _ki_ she could sense belonged to Wampaaan'riix, and he was no enemy.  

She looked down at her hands, and they continued to tremble.  Luffa tried to think of this as mere exhilaration, but she couldn’t quite accept the lie.  In spite of all she had done to break them, she still feared the Tikosi.  She feared what they had done to her, and she feared that it might be done to her again.  

"I’m stronger,” she said through clenched teeth.  "I’m stronger!“

Her aura flashed and expanded as she raised her power.  But the fear remained, unimpressed by her defiance.  

Luffa wailed in frustration.  This power coursing through her was like a drug.  She wanted to _fight_ and _fight_ until she couldn’t fight any more.  But she was starting to run out of things to hit, and then what?  What would she do? Where would she go?  How could she contain this power that burned inside her like a miniature sun?  

Then she sensed a new _ki_ , one that was very familiar to her.  The beast consumed her thoughts once again.  There was still revenge to be had on this worthless mudball.  She leaped into the air and headed straight for it…

*******

Orij stowed the last of his treasure into his cargo hold.  In hindsight, it had been foolish to keep so much of his loot in his apartment.  He had known all along that he would one day be forced to leave the Hiveworld.  He could have lifted off several minutes ago if only he had left his trinkets on board from the start.  

But he was sure he had time.  It would take hours for Luffa to hunt down all the Tikosi, no matter how strong she had become.  And Orij had worked hard to secure his fortune.  Leaving it behind was unthinkable.  

"Well, it was a good scheme while it lasted,” he muttered to himself.  "Too bad, Luffa.  On the bright side, at least your enemies will die with you.  It’s more than most people get in this life.“  

"Where do you think _you’re_ going, _dad_?”

The color drained from Orij’s face when he heard the voice.  He turned and saw his only daughter standing behind him.  Only she wasn’t the young woman who had cooked dinosaur meat for him in the evenings on Dorlu Prime.  She was covered in dried blood.  Her hair glowed like molten iron, and her eyes shone a sickly green.  Her face was twisted by a cruel, sadistic grin.  

Perhaps it was the golden glow of her body, but Orij thought that the muscles on her arms had expanded a little as well.  It was as though the Luffa he knew had been destroyed, and a nameless horror had assumed her form to fulfill an unspeakable wrath upon all who had wronged her.  

 _“L-luffa!_ ” he gasped.  He took a step backward, only to find himself backed up against the hull of his ship.  "Thank goodness you found me!  I was… I was _worried sick about you_.  But my plan worked!“

Luffa approached her father and gently laid her hand on his shoulder.   "Is that so?”

Orij nearly cried out in pain.  While her hand only appeared to rest on his shoulder, she was exerting an immense force upon him.  "Luffa, you have to believe me,“ he said desperately.  "I didn’t want the Tikosi to take you prisoner.  They tricked me!  I was going to come get you, and we would leave this planet together– _AGGGH_!”

“That’s not how _I_ remember it, old man,” Luffa sneered.  She increased the pressure on his shoulder and delighted in his reaction.  "See, _I_ recall a _pompous fool_ bragging that he’d convinced those miserable bugs to experiment on me, so they could use the results to enhance you.  I also seem to remember begging you to kill me, because I stupidly thought you were a Saiyan.“

With blinding speed, she lifted her hand from Orij’s shoulder and struck him across the face, knocking him to the ground.  

"My mistake,” she said.  "Clearly, you’re nothing but a cowardly opportunist.  But don’t worry.  You don’t have to ask me to put you out of your misery, Father.  As a _true_ Saiyan, it would be my pleasure.“

Orij rolled away and scrambled to his feet.  "Don’t lecture me about Saiyan honor, you _freak_.  Just because you’re strong enough to crush the Tikosi, do you really think that makes you a match for _me_ , little girl?”

Luffa let her head loll from one side to the next, and she regarded Orij like a cat eyeing its next meal.  She raised her hand, and slowly curled her index finger, inviting him to attack.

Orij fled.

He didn’t care if it made him a coward.  He didn’t care if he was actually stronger than his daughter or not.  He didn’t even care about his loot, even though he had gone to such lengths to take it with him.  Most of all, he didn’t care that it was useless to flee.  He simply felt an irresistible urge to run away, and so he leaped into the air and launched himself as far and as fast as he could.  

A cold sweat beaded on his face as he realized that he was trapped in a nightmare of his own making.  She had found him effortlessly, and there was nowhere for him to hide.  The Tikosi might have  devised a defense against her eventually, but they had squandered their chance on a panicked frontal assault.  There was no way off the planet.  Luffa could destroy any ship that tried to leave the surface.  There was no one to call for help.  The outside universe didn’t even know the Tikosi Hiveworld existed.  Besides, he had spent the last few months terrorizing nearby systems with his newfound might.  Even if he could call for help, who would answer?

In that moment, he felt he was experiencing just a _taste_ of the helpless agony he had allowed his daughter to suffer.  And then she was upon him, her golden aura trailing behind her like a vengeful comet.

“ _Land,_ ” she thundered, “ _or I’ll force you down myself._ ”

He dropped to the ground at once, barely remembering to slow his descent.  Luffa hit harder, forming a crater as her  bare feet slammed into the sandy soil.  She walked up to him and pointed to her chin.  Orij could barely steady himself.  There was a wet, warm sensation in the leg of his bodysuit, but he was too terrified to let himself notice it.  

“Free shot, Father,” she offered.  " _Make it count._  Show me what the Tikosi gave you, what you _took from me_.  Give me something to remember you by.“

He wondered if it was a trick, but then he decided that Luffa had no need for guile.  The opportunity boosted his nerve, and so he raised his _ki_ as high as it would go, his aura glowing a faint white against Luffa’s flaming yellow.  He adjusted his footing, threw back his right hand, and drove it as hard as he could into Luffa’s abdomen.

She doubled over and stumbled backward.

Orij gasped in stunned surprise.  Then he _was_ stronger after all?!  He followed up with an elbow smash on the back of her head.  He half-expected his arm to burst into flames when it touched her glowing hair, but no.  She dropped to one knee and clutched her neck in pain.  

He allowed a relieved smile to cross his face.  Perhaps she _had_ been stronger, but maybe the transformation was wearing off.  It didn’t matter.  He could finish this right now and conquer the remaining Tikosi in one stroke.  He might even learn something useful from Luffa’s corpse, but he refused to push his luck any further.  The girl had to die.  Whatever value she had to him was overshadowed by the risks.   He readied an energy blast from his left palm and chuckled softly.  

The laughter died in his throat as he saw Luffa raise her head.  She was smiling.  

"That actually hurt a little,” she said, rising to a standing position.  "I can see now why you did what you did.  The Tikosi made you stronger than you could have ever become on your own.   _But not strong enough._ “

Orij fied his _ki_ blast, but it spilled across Luffa’s body like so much water.  He fired again, and again, until finally Luffa walked up to slap his hand aside.  Before he could recover, she gave him a punch of her own, driving her fist deep inside his gut.  

He tried to cry out, but he could only make gagging noises, and finally a trickle of blood ran from his mouth.  Luffa withdrew her hand leaving a gaping, bloody wound, then she grabbed him by the throat.  

"I can make this quick,” she said quietly to him.  "All you have to do is tell me where Kandai is right now.“  

Orij’s eyes widened with horror.  He had no idea where Luffa’s husband was.  He had left the planet months ago, never to return.  Left with… _with…_

"V-vedev system,” he sputtered.  It occurred to him that these might be his last words, a lie to his daughter so that he might receive a merciful death.  Tears streamed down his eyes.  "He… he never told me where he was going… but he mentioned plans to attend… attend the Saiyan festival there.“

"Looking for a new mate, I imagine,” Luffa scoffed.  "He’ll have to settle with the old one first.  What do you think, dad?“  She gestured to her face with her free hand.  "Will he like the new me?”

“I… I-I can help you find him!” Orij pleaded.  "Take me _with_ you.  I just need some–“

Luffa decapitated him with a _ki_ blast.   The headless body of her father collapsed, and blood from its wound soaked into the dirt.  

*******

* * *

Keda finally found Dr. Topsas.  He was unhurt, but trapped beneath a crossbeam from the buildings Luffa had destroyed in her rampage.  Wampaaan'riix’s strength freed him instantly.  

"What of our ship?” the prim arachnoid asked as he dusted himself off with three of his limbs.  "Even if I can help Ms. Luffa, it does us little good if we remain trapped on this world.“

"I checked on it while Keda was searching for you,” the Yetitan explained.  The Tikosi seemed more interested in sealing off the hangar than searching it for clues.  They left it in working order.  We ought to be able to leave whenever we want.“

"Splendid,” Topsas said dryly.  He looked around at the devastation and sighed.  "I certainly think we’ve overstayed our welcome as it is.  Where is she now?“

Wampaaan'riix closed his eyes and concentrated.  Finding Luffa was no great challenge, as powerful as she had become, but he wanted to get a precise fix on her location. "She’s alone,” he finally said.  I can sense Tikosi powers scattered around the planet, but they’re very faint and disorganized.   The fighting seems to be over, but…“

"What is it?” Keda asked.

“We need to go to her now,” he said.  "Something’s wrong.“

*******

* * *

They found her kneeling in the middle of a crater.  A Saiyan corpse lay nearby.  He golden aura flashed and faded, as if it were unstable.  

Wampaaan'riix descended at the edge of the crater, gently lowering the doctor to the ground.  Keda wanted to be set down as well, but he insisted on cradling her in his massive right arm.  Once Keda could see Luffa, she began to see the wisdom in his precaution.  

In the crater, Luffa wrapped her arms around herself and grasped her shoulders as tightly as she could.  Her tail was wrapped around her waist like a belt, and her head kept bobbing up and down.  

"What’s happened to her?” Topsas asked.  "Ninth Eye, she looks like a sodium flare!“

"She… changed,” Wampaaan'riix said.  "Her _ki_ simply exploded, and she became too powerful for the Tikosi to stop.  But it was much steadier before.  Now her power is dropping and rising.   It’s like she can’t maintain it any longer.“  

"Or maybe…” Topsas reasoned, “she’s attempting to shut it off.”  

As he spoke, Luffa’s aura vanished completely.  Her hair darkened to its original color, and the fur on her tail returned to its usual brown.  But before they could relax, she suddenly flared yellow again, and her transformation resurfaced.

“I need to go down there,” Topsas said.  "Perhaps she can tell me what she needs.“

"Doctor you don’t know how powerful she’s become,” Wampaaan'riix objected.  "If she can’t control herself–“

"She needs my help,” Topsas insisted.  "I have too many eyes to look away and too many hands not to reach out.“  He withdrew a length of silk from his spinneret and handed one end to the shaggy giant.  "If she hurts me, you can pull me back and take whatever action you feel is appropriate.  But I must ask you to allow me to try.”

Wampaaan'riix grumbled, but he took the end of the silken line and looped it around his forearm.  "Be careful,“ he muttered.  

Topsas nodded in agreement and lowered himself down the slope of the crater.  He inched towards Luffa, circling around so she would be able to see him coming.

In the center of the crater, Luffa convulsed violently and made a series of frustrated grunts.  Her aura continued to flash on and off, and her hair kept switching from black to bright yellow and back again.  She held her palms over her eyes and clutched at her forehead.  

"Ms. Luffa, it is I,” Topsas called.  "Are you hurt?  I can render aid if you would permit it.“

"S-stay back!” Luffa yelled.  "Doc, I…. _I can’t control it!_  I could hurt you!“

"So I have been told,” Dr. Topsas said.  "But I cannot leave you in this condition.  Let me help you.“

Luffa set her jaw and took sharp, shallow breaths.  "All right… all right…”

“You’re bleeding,” he said as he closed in.  

“It’s not mine,” she said, trying to chuckle over her gasps.  She flashed yellow again and Topsas paused to give her a chance to contain it.  When she returned to normal, he resumed his approach.  

“Don’t lie to me, little mammal,” he scolded.  "You have cuts on your hands.  I can see them from here.“

"I… heh…. did that to myself,” she said.   “Kind of got… _mrrrghh_ … got carried away.”

“How do you feel?” Topsas asked.  "Are you in any pain?“

"Not… really…” she said.  "I just can’t calm down.  I…“

Luffa screamed, and transformed once again.

"There’s no one left to fight!” she shouted.  "Why can’t I power down?!  Why can’t I…!“

She grabbed her head and screamed at the sky.  

"If I may,” Topsas offered.  "I fear that you may be experiencing hypervigilance.  The trauma has passed, but your mind insists on remaining alert.  These matters fall outside of my area of expertise, but I have encountered such problems in other patients.“

"Did they light up like a firecracker too?!” Luffa jeered.  

“Not quite so literally,” Topsas admitted.  He was mere inches away now and he held his front limbs up in as non-threatening a gesture as he could manage.  "I promise you, Ms. Luffa, we shall find out what has happened to you.  I would like to take you to a proper medical facility to perform a thorough investigation.  Is this acceptable?“

"I can’t go with you!” Luffa said.  "I could blow up your ship and kill us all.“

"You need time to process what has happened,” Topsas said.  "I invite you take it.  The Tikosi are no longer a threat.  We are in no hurry to leave.  I will stay with you for as long as it takes.  It may be helpful to talk with me, but I will respect your wishes if you do not.“

She looked at him for a few minutes, staring at his outstretched forelimb.  In that time, she transformed back and forth six times.  At last, she took his hand in hers and held it as gently as she could.  

They sat in the crater for a time, and waited.

**NEXT: Do you mean the Legendary Warrior from Space?**


	11. Chapter 11

_**[January 1, 237 Before Age]** _

* * *

The flight from the Tikosi Hiveworld had been uneventful.  Luffa had become exhausted and slept through most of the journey, while Dr. Topsas monitored her at a respectful distance.  On the bridge, Wampaaan’riix showed Keda the ship’s flight controls, mainly to keep her out of the doctor’s way, but also for lack of anything better to do.  The ship was perfectly capable of piloting itself, as the servant robot repeatedly assured them.  
  
“How’d you learn all this?” Keda asked.  The young Dorlun had mastered most of the ship’s primary systems in a matter of days.  
  
“I served in the Yetitan defense force for a short time,” Wampaaan’riix explained.  "But I couldn’t adjust to military discipline.    But the training was valuable.   A lot of what they teach you comes in handy when you’re out on your own.“  
  
"Do you think you could teach me to fight?” Keda asked hopefully.  "I’d ask Luffa, but…“  
  
"You _can_ ask her,” he said,  "after the doctor has her feeling more like herself.  The first lesson of martial arts is patience.“  
  
"Yeah,” Keda said.  She slumped in her seat and propped her head up with her hand.  "I know.  I just like to stay on top of things.  I didn’t worry about fighting on the colony.  Luffa and Zatte’s militia had it covered.  But if I end up on my own…“  
  
"You’d do quite well, from what I’ve seen,” the Yetitan said.  "You’re extremely resourceful, and your shape-changing powers make you a master of stealth.“  
  
"It’s not _enough_ ,” Keda said.  "I need more to make it out here.  I need to get stronger–“  
  
"Luffa thought the same way,” Wampaaan’riix said.  "Be careful what you wish for, Keda.  Limitations aren’t always such a bad thing.“  
  
They fell silent for a time, until at last the servant robot announced that it was activating the main viewscreen.  
  
Before them, a large, verdant disc hung in the starfield like a great emerald.  Wampaaan’riix shrugged and began making preparations to land.  
  
Keda didn’t notice at first, lost in her own thoughts as she was.   Finally, she happened to glance up at the screen and perked up a bit.  
  
"Ah,” she said.  "It’s Bigreen.“  
  
*******

**[January 3, 237 Before Age.  Planet Bigreen]**

There was an _al fresco_ restaurant in the hospital campus of Bigreen’s capital city.  Wampaaan’riix and Keda were eating when Luffa arrived to join them.  
  
They almost didn’t recognize her at first.  She wore glasses with dark lenses that completely concealed her eyes, and a bright yellow jumpsuit that resembled the sort of uniforms Wampaaan’riix had worn in his military days.  
  
Mostly, though, it was how clean she was.  Keda had rarely seen a Saiyan without at least some dust or grime on them.  Her hair was still the same haphazard tangle, but it looked much cleaner.  More to the point, it was black, and not the glowing yellow it had become whenever he unwanted transformation took place.  
  
"I’m surprised they let you go,” Wampaaan’riix said as she pulled up a chair.  "Dr. Topsas acted as though his examination would take weeks.“  
  
"Maybe longer,” Luffa said, “But this is a top flight facility.  Turns out they can run a bunch of scans on a patient and the doctors can look those over instead of the real thing.”  
  
She reached across the table and grabbed an entire bowl of complimentary rolls.  "Of course, if I was in bad shape, they’d want to keep a closer eye on me, but everyone keeps telling me how healthy I am.  Where’s the butter?“  
  
Wampaaan’riix tossed her a small tray of single-serve packets.  Luffa didn’t bother trying to open them.  Instead, she simply crushed a handful of them and wiped the mess off with her bread.  
  
"Well, you certainly seem to be feeling better,” Wampaaan’riix observed.  
  
“Getting there,” she said.  "Doc’s more concerned about how I’m doing upstairs.“ She stuffed a roll in her mouth and used her free hand to tap the side of her head.  "He’s got me on some kind of medication to keep me on an even keel.  ’S why I’m not flaring up every twenty minutes.”  
  
“And what about that?” Wampaaan’riix asked.  "Do they know what’s causing this transformation?“  
  
"Hell no,” Luffa grumbled.  "At least no one’s told me anything.  I don’t envy the doc, though.  He’s either gotta figure it out himself, or try to make sense of that gobbledygook the local doctors talk.  If these pills keep working,“ she withdrew a small bottle from her breast pocket and shook it to rattle the contents, "then I guess I can wait.   Anyway, where’s the waiter?  I have to take these with food.”  
  
“Does it hurt when you transform, Luffa?” Keda asked.  
  
“Not really,” Luffa shrugged.  "I just don’t _like_ it.  I don’t like how it happened, and I don’t like who I have to thank for it.  I’d rather just be rid of it.“  
  
"I think it looks pretty,” Keda said.  
  
“Yeah, about that,“ Luffa said.  "I didn’t exactly have a mirror back there.  Show me.”  
  
“Well, I won’t be able to do the aura,” Keda warned.  "And I’m not good at matching faces just right.“  
  
Luffa stuffed another roll in her mouth and waved her hand in a circle. "Yeah yeah,” she mumbled as she chewed.  "I _know_ what that aura looks like.  I was inside of it, kid.  Just give me the general idea.“  
  
Keda shut her eyes and concentrated.  Then her body expanded to an adult frame of about Luffa’s proportions.  Her blue skin faded into the pale brown of Luffa’s complexion, and her green eyes changed to white with dark irises.  The simple grey tunic and pants she wore morphed into a yellow jumpsuit.  Finally, she took on Luffa’s facial features, or as close as she could come, and her hair darkened from red to black.  
  
"Okay, this is how you look now,” Keda said.  
  
“I noticed,” Luffa scoffed.  
  
“And _this_ is what you turned into…” Keda continued.  She concentrated again, and when she opened her eyes her irises had become a piercing green.  Her hair and eyebrows turned bright yellow, and she bared her teeth for effect.  
  
Luffa was amazed.  "Is she getting this right?“ she asked Wampaaan’riix.  When he nodded, she leaned in to look Keda over more closely.  
  
"Father was right,” she said in a low voice.  "I really _am_ a freak.“  
  
"That’s not true at all!” Keda said.  "You’ve adapted!  You were unstoppable when you looked this way.  You should be proud of–“  
  
"I’m not a Dorlun, Keda,” Luffa snapped.  She slumped in her chair and crossed her arms. “Maybe I’m not a Saiyan anymore either, but I’m not like you.  I’m not supposed to change this way.  Saiyans only change into giant apes when the moon is full.  That’s why I’m wearing these, by the way.”  She pointed at her glasses.  "Doc thought it might be a good idea while I’m here.  Bigreen has three moons, and one of them is full most of the time.  He doesn’t want me to turn into an oozaru until he gets a handle on this other form.  If I do both at once they might put too much strain on my body.“  
  
"Luffa, you’re _still_ a Saiyan,” Keda insisted.  
  
“Whatever,” she muttered.  "Where is that blasted wait– oh.“  
  
The Bigreenese waiter was standing beside her, ready with a pad and pencil to take her order.  
  
"Yes, madam, here I am my name is Varest I will be your server this afternoon heh-heh.  I see that you’re a patient of our fine hospital I certainly hope your feeling better now that you’ve come to see us that is the idea after all!”  
  
Luffa put her elbows on the table and cradled her head in her hands.  "Here we go…“  
  
The waiter was a young man, but his voice and tone sounded like someone far older.  Like all Bigreenese people, his skin was a pale green color, and his hair was red on one side, blue on the other.  
  
"Look, I just want several orders of the number four, okay?” Luffa asked.  "Just keep bringing them until I tell you to stop.  Got it?“  
  
The waiter diligently recorded her words on the pad, then he glanced up from his writing and gasped.  
  
"Ahhhhhhh!   Of course!  I _suspected as much_ , I knew there _had_ to be a reason!” he rambled excitedly.  "You see I was wondering how a fit young lady such as yourself could possibly place such a tremendous order and I knew there had to be a reason!  Ha ha!  There had to!  And there it is, plain for anyone to see you’re a Space _Warrior_ , aren’t you?!”  
  
“I just want pancakes,” Luffa groaned.  
  
“What is the matter with him?” Wampaaan’riix asked.  
  
“They all talk like this,” Luffa muttered.  "Don’t ask me why.  And they’re bad with names, too.  Watch.“  
  
She turned to face the waiter and  said: "You got me, pal.  I’m a Saiyan.  My name’s Luffa.”  She pointed at Keda, who was still imitating Luffa’s transformed appearance.  “That one’s a shape shifter, though.  Her name is Keda.  Big guy’s out of Planet Yetitan.  Goes by Wampaaan’riix.”  
  
“I’ll have the broiled fowl,” Wampaaan’riix said.  
  
“I think I’ll have the fruit plate,” Keda said, shrinking back to her true form.  
  
“Marvelous, marvelous!  It’s an honor to serve such an eclectic table!  Mmm, yes, I might have _known_ a mighty, er, _Space Warrior_ would have such fascinating companions, oh you do get around Ms. Ruhffer, you certainly do!”  
  
“Look, could you–?” Luffa asked.  
  
“Yes, right away right away.  Mustn’t forget why I’m here although this certainly is an auspicious occasion.  That’s a number twelve for Mighty White and a fruit platter for our young Kado.  Now if you’ll just… bear with us a _moment_ longer all your orders will be filled I promise!”  
  
As he hurried on his way, Luffa shook her head and sighed.  
  
“What was he talking about?” Wampaaan’riix asked.  "I admit I’m no match for you, ’Ruhffer’, but I like to think I’m as much a ’warrior’ as the next.“  
  
"He didn’t mean it like that,” Luffa chuckled.  "It’s the name the people of Bigreen use for Saiyans.  'Space Warrior’.  It’s got a certain ring to it, but it’s not very specific.“  
  
"Have you been to Bigreen before, Luffa?” Keda asked.  "He acted like he knew you.“  
  
"I’ve been to spaceports on the other hemisphere, but that’s about it,” Luffa said. “He just noticed my tail is all.  The Bigreenese are very friendly towards Saiyans in general.  They feel like they owe it to us, because of Chanisp.”  
  
“Who’s he?” Keda asked.  
  
Luffa smiled and opened her mouth to answer, but then Varest returned with their food.  He had brought his manager, an older Bigrenese man named Philoklor, to meet Luffa, and she had to threaten them with bodily harm so she could eat in peace.  
  
As her companions ate, she struggled to keep a firm grasp on her fork.   Her hands still trembled in spite of Dr. Topsas’ best efforts.  At last she gave up and simply dug into her stack of pancakes with her bare hands, and drinking the syrup like a beverage.  
  
“Now, as I was about to say,” she said between mouthfuls.  "Chanisp was one of the great heroes of Saiyan legend.  There were some god-Saiyans who _might_ have been stronger, but otherwise he was the toughest who ever lived.  He was the first Saiyan in memory to make a name for himself off-planet, and he saved the Bigreenese from a powerful threat.  That’s where the whole ’Space Warrior’ thing got started.  Folks all over would call Chanisp that because they didn’t know what else to call him.  He made a lot of enemies, but he was a hero on Bigreen, and they figure every Saiyan alive today must be one of his descendants.“  
  
"Are you really descended from him, Luffa?” Keda asked.  
  
She snorted.  "I don’t know for sure, but he was pretty popular with the ladies back home.  My mother told me he had two hundred children.   And those were just the full-blooded Saiyans.  Our waiter could be a distant cousin of mine, and I wouldn’t be too surprised.“  
  
"What did he _do_ on Bigreen?” Keda asked.  Luffa started to laugh, and Keda quickly added: “I mean, what did he _save the planet from_?”  
  
“I don’t know exactly, kid,” Luffa said. “The locals could probably fill in some details.  But I do know he saved the Saiyans from a demon.  The demon conquered them all because he liked to eat Saiyan tails as a delicacy. “  She raised her tail above the table and stared at it with suspicion.  “I guess he wanted to domesticate us like cattle or something.  Well, Chanisp put a stop to _that_.  He was eating the _demon’s_ tail when it was over.  So whatever he tackled on _this_ planet, it must have been on that level.  He only went into space to find stronger opponents to challenge.”  
  
“He sounds a lot like you,” Keda said.  "I mean, it’s kind of like what you do, and you’re probably stronger now than he was.“  
  
"You don’t get it, squirt,” Luffa replied testily.  "Chanisp was supreme, and _he_ didn’t have to transform into some… _whatever it is._  He didn’t need a bunch of sniveling bugs to make him powerful.  He did it on his own.  He earned it.“  
  
She started to become upset, and she looked down at her hands again.  "Aw, my pancakes are getting cold,” she grumbled.  
  
Keda watched her eat in silence.  She decided not to bother Luffa any further, but she still had questions.  She turned her attention to her own meal, and considered how to get the answers…  
  
******

* * *

  
There was a great library in the capital city of Bigreen.  Philoklor had gone there, as he often did whenever he had something to report.  
  
He had taken the elevator, but instead of pressing a single button to select his floor, he had tapped out an elaborate code using every button in a particular sequence.  The elevator had accepted this input and descended far below the second sub-basement, which was supposedly the lowest part of the building, according to any official blueprints.  
  
Unofficially, the library had been designed and built by members of a secret society to which Philoklor belonged.  This secret third sub-basement was known as “S3” to those who were aware of it.  It resembled a gentlemen’s club in many ways.  While waiting to be received, Philoklor had accepted a cigar from one of the scantily clad ladies who attended to initiates of his rank.  
  
Their _true_ purpose was far more sinister, however.  Society S3 was a cult.  As Philoklor waited in the inner chamber to give his report, the eldritch torchlight and arcane symbols that adorned the walls served as a stark reminder of the dark power they all served.  
  
“A most remarkable report yes _excellent_ work, Philoklor, you are to be _commended_ ,” said the Elder as he paced the room in his dark red robes.   Philoklor ignored him, however.  His gaze was fixed on the shriveled old woman who sat on a massive chair made of scorched wood.  
  
He had only seen the High Priestess Vien when he had taken his final oaths of initiation.  She usually spent her days in a secluded chamber of the sub-basement, speaking only to cultist of high rank like the Elder.  He had never dreamed she would want to hear his report personally.  
  
“The portents have come just as they were foretold,” the Elder said to the High Priestess.  "Soon your great dream which you have worked for so many years to achieve will become a reality, ha-ha!  Yes, tremendous!“  
  
The old woman raised a bony hand from the folds of her cloak, bidding the Elder to fall silent.  She turned her sunken eyes on Philoklor and stared at him with a curious smile.  
  
"Not even Chanisp could oppose us now,” she rasped in a voice that sounded oddly similar to the Elder’s.  "Bigreen shall perish, and in its place shall rise a _new_ power, the _ultimate_ power, and this Space Warrior will be utterly helpless against it so there is no cause for concern my loyal acolytes.  The Elder is right, Philoklor, go and receive your reward.  Relax!  Enjoy!  Hehhhh.“  
  
He bowed reverently and took his leave.  Vien leaned back in her chair and steepled her gnarled fingers.  The room fell silent, all except the torchflames, and her quiet chuckle.  
  
 **NEXT: Lost in translation.**


	12. Chapter 12

_**[5 January, 237 Before Age.  Planet Bigreen]** _

“You’ve got to be kidding me.  That’s the best you can come up with?”

Luffa finished the question only to turn around and narrowly avoid a dropkick from Wampaaan’riix.  She managed to grab hold of his wrist and swung him back the way he came, using his own momentum against him.  At nine feet in height and with a muscular frame concealed beneath his long white fur, he was more than a match for most opponents, but Luffa was the one holding back in this contest.  

At a safe distance, Dr. Topsas watched their match with disinterest.  He preferred to consult with patients in private, behind closed doors, with their full attention on what he had to tell them.  An outdoor gym mat was hardly what he had in mind.

Luffa threw a punch at the Yetitan, but he deflected it with ease.  She tried again and again, but he kept up with her pace.  When she spun around and tried to fluster him with a back kick, he sidestepped it.

“Should I step it up a bit?” Luffa asked.  "Make it more interesting?“

"No,” Wampaaan’riix said.  "You said you wanted to relearn some control, not have fun.  Let’s just keep it at this level for as long as you can maintain it.“

"You’re not even trying to win,” she whined.

“You fight your way and I’ll fight mine,” he said.

“Anyway,” she said, addressing the doctor again, “I thought you’d have more for me than that.”

“My tests were quite conclusive,” Topsas said.

“I don’t believe the results,” Luffa said.  She pivoted on one heel to avoid a hairy white fist, only to catch an elbow between her shoulder blades.

“Then what was the point of running the tests?” Topsas replied. “If you only intend to agree with results that confirm your own assumptions, you needn’t waste my time, nor anyone else’s.”

Luffa dropped to the mat, but swung her legs around to hop back to her feet.  Now Wampaaan’riix was on the offensive, and Luffa was having trouble blocking his punches.

“Doc, I turned into a bright yellow poltergeist!” she growled. “That’s _not_ natural.  It doesn’t–ow!–it doesn’t take a fancy medical degree to figure out that the Tikosi must have done something to me to give me that power.”

“A fine hypothesis, except it isn’t supported by experimental data,” Topsas countered.  "Naturally I suspected Tikosi alterations to your genetic code.  I found them in samples I collected from your father’s corpse.  We _know_ they altered _his_ powers.  But I found no such tampering in _your_ DNA.

“Then it’s some kind of implant they put in my brain!” she said.  She retreated from Wampaaan’riix’s onslaught and tried to regroup.

“My dear, the staff at Bigreen Hospital mapped every carbon-13 atom in that stubborn little head of yours.  If there were an implant we missed, the displaced tissue would make it obvious.”

She couldn’t find an answer to Wampaaan’riix’s offense.  He seemed to be steadily increasing his power while she struggled to remain the same.  She became frustrated, but she was determined not to break discipline.

“I’m telling you,” she seethed.  "They did something to me…“

"Indeed they did,” Topsas said.  "But not a physiological change, at least nothing permanent.  I am becoming convinced that the Tikosi inflicted and repaired so much damage on you in such a short span of time that your body was forced to transform to handle the resulting increase in power.  If so, the change you experienced would be extremely rare for Saiyans, but perhaps entirely natural.“

"That’s a load of–”

Luffa had a choice word to add to that sentence, but she made the mistake of turning to look at Topsas as she tried to say it.  Wampaaan’riix capitalized, driving one of his powerful legs into Luffa’s abdomen.  She doubled over, and her tail unwrapped itself from around her waist.  Wampaaan’riix took hold of the end of it, and lifted her up off her feet.

“This round goes to me,” he said, dangling her a few inches off the floor.

She started to shake with anger, and Wampaaan’riix quickly set her down and backed away.  There was a flash of golden light, and when it faded she was on her knees, staring angrily at her clenched fists.

 _“Dammit!”_ she howled.  She turned to glare at Topsas.  " _This_ is what you call ‘natural?’“

"Take a deep breath, little mammal,” Topsas said.

“What, and change back?” she scoffed.  "Why bother?  This is totally normal for a Saiyan my age, isn’t it?  I think I’ll go for a stroll.  Hope I don’t sneeze, or I might accidentally *blow up the world*.“

"Why _don’t_ you try staying like this for a while?”  Wampaaan’riix suggested.

“Because it makes me want to kill everyone!” Luffa said.

“I thought Saiyans were supposed to be great fighters,” Wampaaan’riix grunted.  "Or is that all a bunch of hot air?  Maybe you’re just a pack of wild animals who use brute strength in place of finesse.“

"Don’t talk about my people like that, Yetitan,” Luffa fumed.

“Or you’ll kill me?” Wampaaan’riix shouted.  " _Pfah!_  I thought your transformation would force you to kill me anyway, wasn’t that what you said?  Besides what do you care if I insult the Saiyans?  I thought you were a 'bright yellow poltergeist.’“

There was a look of murderous hatred on her face, and then it melted into bemusement, and finally withered into embarrassment.  Luffa dropped her arms and hung her head low.

"Thanks,” she said.  "I needed that.“

"There, you see?” Wampaaan’riix said. “You have a better handle on this than you realize.  It doesn’t matter if this power is natural or artificially induced.  You’ll conquer it all the same.”

Luffa shut her eyes and controlled her breathing.  After a few moments she reverted to normal.  "I wish it were as easy as saying it,“ she said.

"My suggestion was serious, Luffa,” Wampaaan’riix said.  "We can continue sparring this way, so you can learn to fine tune your power level, but it might also help if you tried to stay in your new form for as long as you can.“

"Maybe,” Luffa said.  "But not here.  "Too many moons, too many bystanders, not enough stuff to hit.  I could really make a mess if something went wrong.  I’d better wait until I can find an uninhabited planet.“

She looked back to Dr. Topsas.  "Look, uh… sorry I lost my cool, doc,” she said.  "I know you’re being straight with me, but there’s gotta be a better explanation.“

"There is nothing to apologize for,” Topsas said graciously.  "You have every right to demand answers, and at this time all I can offer is speculation.  I will, of course, continue to study your case.  In the meantime, your fisticuffs sessions with Wampaaan’riix appear to be therapeutic.  I recommend you continue.“

"Later,” Luffa said.  "That last flare-up wiped me out.  I think I’ll go lie down for a while.“

*******

* * *

There was a decent resort in Bigreen’s capital city.  It had been built by a wealthy real estate mogul who wanted to get the most out of his property.  So he built a single massive tower on his entire lot and turned its roof into an artificial beach.  There was a perfectly good natural beach a few miles away, but the novelty won over the public and it became a trendy place to go.  Luffa’s finances were limited to the treasure she had looted from her father’s cargo hold, but she found that Saiyans were given a lot of perks on Planet Bigreen, and the man at the ticket booth let her go up to the roof for free.

She didn’t bother changing out of her hospital jumpsuit.  She wanted a change of scenery, not a tan.  When she spotted a lounge chair with no one nearby, she took it.  Through her dark-tinted glasses, she looked up at the large gibbous moon in the daylight sky and found it soothing.

Unfortunately, she found that the trade off for Bigreen’s "Saiyan discount” was a lot of unwanted attention.  Just before she drifted off to sleep, a shrill voice roused her back to consciousness.

“Uh, excuse me.  You’re a Warrior, aren’t you?  I mean, heh-heh-heh, of course you are, what a ridiculous question sorry I really put my foot in it huh?”

Luffa glanced over to the source of the voice.  It was a Bigreen male of small stature, clad in garish flower-patterned shorts and a white t-shirt.  But his hair was dark like her own, and there was something familiar about his eyes.

She uncurled her tail from her waist and waved it around for him.  "That’s right,“ she grumbled.

"Well, uh, I’m sorry to bother you,” he squeaked, “but my friends saw you sitting here and they said I just *had* to come over and say hello!  Uh hello.  Ahhhhh.  Huh.”

“Well, mission accomplished, kid,” Luffa said.

“Heh. Yeah, they really wanted me to do this it’s because I’m part Saiyan myself–on my grandfather’s side–and I’ve always been really interested in the culture and it’s really a pleasure to meet you–”

Luffa turned and gave him a closer look.  "So where’s _your_ tail, kid?“

He tugged his shirt collar and laughed nervously.  "Well, ah, I had to cut it off you see because of all the moons heh it was really putting a damper on my career not to mention my love life and uh…”

Luffa clicked her tongue. She decided to have some fun with the boy.  "Well it’ll grow back, I suppose.  Puts you at a disadvantage though.“

"Huh disadvantage?  What… do you mean what are you saying?”

She raised her arms to grasp the back of her chair, and then she swung up her legs to flip herself over it.  She made a perfect landing, and then she held up her fists.

“Well, you came here to challenge me to a _fight_ , didn’t you?” she asked.  "Your blood’s not _that_ thin, is it?  I suppose I can keep my glasses on to keep things fair, but if you knock them off and I get a look at one of the moons, well…“

"Uhhhhh!  Uhhhh!  Now wait a minute hold on what?”

“Wait, _that’s_ not what you came here for _at all_ ,” Luffa said.  "How stupid of me.“

She lowered her arms and moved towards him.  The boy was too confused to back away.  She leaned in until he could feel her breath on his lips.

"You’re looking for a _mate_ , aren’t you?” she whispered.

The look on his face was priceless.  Luffa had to struggle not to laugh.

“Of course, I happen to be married, but… well, _he_ won’t have to find out.  Even if he does, well, it’s for the good of your bloodline, isn’t it?  Besides, if he has a problem with it, I’m sure _you_ could defeat him.”

She threw her arms around his shoulders and embraced him tightly.  "This is all so sudden!“ she exclaimed. "You know, my parents met on this planet.  It’s like history is repeating itself!  Of course, my father killed my mother, and I killed him to avenge her, but it’ll be different this time around!  Still, you’re awfully young!  I’d have to teach you…. well, _everything_.”

His verdant skin blushed to a darker shade, and his eyes were as wide as they could be.  He wasn’t silent during all of this, but the noises that came out of his mouth were quite unintelligible.

“But wait, just how old are you, darling?” Luffa asked.  "It doesn’t matter to me, of course, but once you kill my husband, we’ll want to make things official, and there are laws to consider.“

"Um, I’m forty-seven,” he squeaked.

Luffa released him at once and backed away.

“My great-grandpa was pretty short himself,” the boy… _the man_ explained.  "Heh, wow, I probably got it from him.“

Luffa swallowed hard.  "Right,” she said.  "I knew that.  I was joking.  Yeah.“

"Oh I thought you meant it,” he said.  Luffa almost felt sorry for him when she heard the dejected tone of his voice, but them he began laughing hysterically, as if he had been in on the gag from the start.

“Let’s start over,” Luffa said.  "I’m Luffa.“

"Pleased to meet you, Ruhffer,” he said, oblivious to Luffa’s irritated wince.  "My name is Chirad, its Bigreenese but it sounds a little like the kind of name a _Space Warrior_ might have doesn’t it?“

Luffa held up her hand and twisted her wrist back and forth to indicate ambivalence, but Chirad wouldn’t stop talking long enough to register her response.

"Well I work in the big library on the edge of town I’m a historian and I’m doing my thesis on the Warriors… the Warriors from Space I mean.  Did your parents really meet here?  Did they really that’s something I bet.”

“You look pretty fit for a scholar,” Luffa said, taking in Chirad’s compact physique.  "Especially for someone pushing fifty.“

"Wow gosh you think so?  Huh huh cool,” Chirad said.  "I do some martial arts training in my spare time–not that I’m anywhere close to your league mind you!  Heh-heh did you bring your husband with you?“

"Forget about him,” Luffa said darkly.  She held up her left palm and pointed to it with the right.  "Show me what you’ve got, Chirad.“

He was dumbstruck by her invitation.  "W-w-well I couldn’t really.  I can see you’re a patient at the hospital and you’re probably way too strong for me to take on and I–”

“It’s okay,” Luffa said.  "Just hit me as hard as you can.  I’ll be fine, and I won’t hit you back.“  

He continued to hestitate, and she smiled knowingly at him.  "You want to impress those friends of yours right?”

He thought about it, then gave in to the temptation Luffa knew had been there all along.  There was Saiyan blood in his veins after all.  Chirad took a step back and widened his stance.  He balled his fists and made a high pitched noise that sounded like an alleycat in heat.  Luffa still had trouble believing how old he was.

Finally he delivered a punch squarely on Luffa’s outstretched palm.  She used her own _ki_ to absorb most of the blow, so as not to damage the building they were standing on.  But there was still a visible ripple in the air.

“Better than I expected,” Luffa said, wiggling her hand for effect.  "I see you’re one of Chanisp’s brats after all.“

Chirad smiled from ear to ear.  He giggled nervously, looking as though his entire existence had been validated in a single moment.

"So you were talking about your research,” Luffa said.  "Is that what you wanted me for?“

"Oh right yeah boy how silly of me,” Chirad babbled.  "I’m trying to get some background on the battle Chanisp fought on ancient Bigreen and none of the ambassadors on the Space Warrior home planet will answer my questions, hmm it’s very rude.“

"Don’t get me started on Planet Saiya,” Luffa muttered.  "King Revahl probably wishes we were still slaves to that demon Chanisp killed.“

"Then you do know the story?” Chirad asked.  "Ha ha how amazing that will make things much easier.“

"I know some of it,” Luffa said.  "Tell you what, let’s get something to eat and we’ll compare notes.“

*******

* * *

"Hmm yes, it’s quite an honor indeed to you have you here, Ms Ruhffer, your patronage is very much appreciated and we’re very grateful.”

“Sure.  Well I’ve got a lot of important stuff to read about… fighting moves and, uh, stuff.  Yeah.  Just make sure no one comes in here and bothers me, or I’ll _punch them in the face_.”

“Y-yes, of course, Ruhffer, leave everything to me don’t worry about a thing!  I’ll see to it that _no one_ disturbs you, _not anyone at all_.  Now, in you go, have a good time!  Hmm-hmm-hmm…”

The door closed behind her, and the librarian wandered off, humming loudly to himself.  Keda sighed, and relaxed her body, allowing the appearance of “Ruhffer” to revert into her true Dorlun form.

Keda had considered conducting her studies as herself, but she decided a Bigreenese adult would have greater access to public information services.   But something about their hair was difficult for her to pull off.  She kept forgetting which side of her scalp was supposed to have blue hair and which was supposed to be red.  The Bigreenese themselves didn’t seem to mind, but she took some pride in her mimicry abilities, and their odd speech patterns were even harder to imitate than their hair.  In any event she soon found that posing as a Saiyan opened more doors.

But now that she was in a private study room, she could tackle her research without maintaining the facade.  Keda sorted the books on the desk and started flipping through one to find the index.

She admired Luffa, but she also pitied her inflexible attitudes.  If a Dorlun had transformed into an unstoppable fighter, she would be hailed as a hero to a grateful people.  Saiyans placed too much emphasis on appearances.   Black hair, brown tails, anything else was suspicious.  They could grow stronger, and their civilization had done great things with that trait, but they refused to think beyond brute force unless they had no other choice.

And Luffa was given no other choices on the Tikosi Hiveworld.  She could only adapt or perish, and her body had somehow tapped into a wellspring of power most Saiyans never needed.  But now that the danger had passed, she wanted to be rid of the power because of how it looked and felt.  She was like a bird who was ashamed to be able to fly.

But the Bigreenese fascination with the Saiyans opened up a new opportunity.  The Saiyans may have been close-minded about these matters, but other cultures they interacted with could have written more objective histories.  This 'Chanisp’ they all revered was the key.  Luffa was certain that he was an unbeatable Saiyan of ordinary appearance, but what else could she assume, if the legend was passed down to her by her own kind?  If the Bigreenese stories told things differently, perhaps that might change Luffa’s mind.

The hours passed, and Keda eventually compiled a general idea of what had happened.  Chanisp had come to Bigreen as a sort of vacation, following his liberation of the Saiyan people.  But when he arrived, he found the Bigreenese people in a very similar predicament.  A great demon ruled the planet like a dark god, and Chanisp decided to test his strength by challenging him to battle.  The battle was ferocious, but it ended when the demon fled to “another dimension,” never to return.  Chanisp swore that he would be waiting to face the demon should it dare to show itself on the planet.

There were variations of the tale, naturally.  In some versions, Chanisp lived among the Bigreenese for years, even taking a mate from among them.  In others, he became restless and left the planet in search of new adventures.  One version of the story contended that the Bigreen conflict happened first, and Chanisp went to free his own people afterward.

There were commentaries written centuries later, and these attempted to make sense of the more fantastic elements.  One author suggested that Chinasp conquered Bigreen and the legends were orignally propaganda to legitimize his rule.  Another suggested that while a Saiyan may have fought a tyrant, the powers of the combatants became exaggerated with each retelling, distorting a historical assassination into a mythical struggle.

Keda put her feet up on the table and balance her chair on its back legs.  As she chewed on a pencil and stared at the ceiling, she tried to digest what she had found.

She certainly disagreed with the opinion that the legends were exaggerated.  Keda had personally witnessed Luffa’s power up close and she was sure that Chanisp had similar abilities.  A much weaker Saiyan might have done the things Chanisp was said to do, but a Saiyan of average power wouldn’t have captured the Bigreenese imagination for so many centuries.

No, Chanisp was an icon.  He was only dimly remembered in this era, but he must have been a sight to behold in his own day to have survived in the public imagination for so long.  It was all guesswork and instinct, but Dorluns had very keen instincts.  On a primal level, Keda envisioned Chanisp as an unstoppable berserker, not unlike Luffa in her transformed state.  Maybe he didn’t glow like a bonfire the way she did, but he must have expressed his power in some way that was unique.  Unparalleled.

_Memorable._

Keda snapped her fingers and nearly toppled her chair as she hurried back to her pile of books.  If Chanisp truly was such an ancient and beloved hero on Planet Bigreen, then surely they would have made artwork in his honor.  She flipped through a historical text and groaned.  All the depictions of the man were interpretations by modern artists.  The oldest images she could find were paintings from six hundred years ago, but that was still centuries after Chanisp’s lifetime.

She wanted something _primary_ , something so old that it might actually have been authentic.  Something sturdy enough to have survived into the present day.

Keda grabbed a book on archaeological tourism. When she found what she had in mind, she began scribbling down notes on a piece of scratch paper.

A loud knock at the door startled her, and her pencil skidded off the page, leaving a mark shaped like a crude lightning bolt.

The knob began to turn and she quickly forced her body to assume Luffa’s appearance.  She was nearly finished with her work, but she was still annoyed with the library staff, and she felt better about yelling at them as a Saiyan than as small child.

“This had better be good,” she snarled.  "Can’t you see I’m busy?“

It was a Bigreenese man and woman.  She thought she had seen the woman before sorting returns in the stacks, but the man was unfamiliar to her.

"This room is reserved for someone else!” she said in a shrill, infantile voice.  Keda wondered if she might have been a shape-shifting child like herself, only much younger.

“Yeah, you need to clear out of here, hmmph,” she screeched.  "So go on, hurry up and go, go on beat it!“

Keda glared at both of them and bared her teeth.  "You think you *weaklings* can push a _Space Warrior_ around?  Go back to your card catalogs before I… uh… _rip out your kidneys_!”

The woman remained defiant, and she pulled a small weapon from her coat pocket.  "I’ll go…“ she squealed, "anywhere I want!!  Yaaaaaaaahhhhh!”

Keda narrowly dodged the discharge from the weapon.  The blue beam of light singed the far wall of the study room, and Keda decided it was better to retreat.  Unfortunately, her adversaries were blocking the only way in or out, and there was no cover.  She hopped up on the table and leaped for the top of the door jamb, hoping to swing on it and sail over their heads.

It almost worked, except Keda had neglected to consider the Saiyan disguise she wore. As she cleared the shoulders of the two Bigreenese, her tail trailed behind, and the man was able to reach up and grasp the end just before she could reach the floor and run.  His grip was unsteady, and her own momentum pulled her loose, but the unexpected drag ruined her landing, and she skidded along the carpet in a very undignified fashion.

“Yaaaaahhhh!”  the woman cried as she fired again.  Keda didn’t know why she felt compelled to announce her attacks, but she wasn’t about to complain.  She managed to roll away in time, and she scrambled to her feet before the man could reach her.

All she had to do was duck into the stacks and change shape.  Then she could lose them once and for all.  But her plan meant she had to maintain her Saiyan disguise until she was out of sight.  If her pursuers discovered her shape-changing powers, then they might make a more thorough search.

She ran for the nearest set of shelves, this time making sure to keep her tail close to her body.  The woman’s weapon apparently needed time to energize for each shot, and the man wasn’t fast enough to catch her.  She rounded the corner, certain she was home free…

…But then a third Bigreenese tackled her from between the shelves.  In her haste, Keda had failed to consider that her enemies might have prepared an ambush like this.  Still, their plan made no sense for capturing a Saiyan.  If Keda’s disguise had been genuine, she could have killed all of them and smashed her way through a wall to escape.

“Let me go!” she growled, determined to keep up appearances.   She wondered if they already knew she was a shape-shifter, but there was no good reason to confirm it for them just yet.  She decided to wait for an opening.

“You’re coming with us now whether you like it or not so too bad ha haaaaah!” the second man said as he tightened his arms around her waist.

Keda’s arms were still free, so she decided to try to fight back, but then the woman readied another shot of her weapon.  Once more she cried out as she fired, and Keda looked at her just in time to see her whole world turn to blue light.

**NEXT: The Statue Got Me High**


	13. Chapter 13

_**[5 January, 237 Before Age.  Planet Bigreen]** _

“I trust your research is proceeding smoothly, Ms. Ruhffer,” called the librarian at the front desk.  "I suppose you must be taking a break yes that must be it but please if you need anything just let us know we’ll be happy to get it for you!  Mm-hmm.“

"Research?  What are you talking about?” Luffa asked.  She pointed to Chirad.  " _He’s_ the bookworm.“

The two of them had spent the afternoon talking about Saiyan lore.  Chirad was only one-quarter Saiyan–possibly a little more depending on the pedigree of his three Bigreenese grandparents.  Still, his fascination with Luffa’s culture was enough to make up for his mostly alien heritage and bizarre speech patterns.  They had come to the great library of Bigreen’s capital city so Chirad could show her some documents he had in his office.  And yet, the staff seemed to recognize her, even though she had never been here before.  

"But you’ve been using one of the private study rooms for most of the day,” the librarian argued.  "Don’t tell me you’ve been eating in there, oh I understand the, er,  _Space Warrior_ appetite is _insatiable_ but we don’t allow food in this establishment it would be _highly_ inappropriate although a special exception _can_ be made–“

"What room?” Luffa asked.  "I’ve never even been here before– Wait… _Keda_.“

After a hasty explanation, the librarian directed them to Keda’s reserved room, only to find the door open, and the room empty.  Her books were scattered on the floor, and there was a scorch mark on the far wall.

"Something’s not right here,” Luffa said.  "Keda might have impersonated me for some reason, but I don’t think she would have left things like this.“

Chirad crouched down and looked at some of her notes.  "Gee I think she was researching Chanisp just like I was.  I wonder if she found something out.”

“Not again, Chirad, I told you not to bring that foolish business up anymore,” the librarian scolded.  She turned to Luffa with a put-upon expression.  "Please excuse him but he insists on perpetuating these ridiculous stories of a conspiracy to revive the Tyrant Demon now I suppose he’ll try to blame this on them utter nonsense.“

"Well _someone_ took a potshot at that wall,” Luffa said.  She looked out the door and spotted another scorch mark on a bookshelf.   “But who would want to kill Keda?  She’s just a little kid.”

“Maybe they mistook her for you, Ruhffer,” Chirad suggested.  "I mean if she really is a shape-shifter she could have looked like anybody and so whoever did this might not have been looking for her at all.“

"I guess, but if you’re going to sneak up on a Saiyan you’d want more than a common ray gun,” she said.  "Maybe this guy was just a dummy.“  

"Now you two cut the amateur speculation,” the librarian said.   “It’s there.”

Luffa ignored her and looked around the room.  She wasn’t sure what to do in this situation.  Her senses could detect powerful _ki_ energies from far away, but Keda’s life force was rather weak, much like the librarian or any other Bigreenese civilian.  Whoever attacked Keda would be just as difficult to find.  If he had any substantial _ki_ energy, he would have used it to attack Keda rather than a weapon.  She thought about calling Dr. Topsas and Wampaaan'riix for help, but she had burdened them with enough of her problems as it was.  Besides, they were no better equipped to solve a mystery than she was.  

Fortunately, Chirad discovered a lead.  "Gosh, I think this might tell us something,“ he said in his infantile voice.  He held up a piece of scratch paper with numbers written on it.  "It looks like coordinates we should go there and see what’s up, hmmm!”

“See here that won’t do at all.  If there’s been a kidnapping we should contact security and the local police force how can we be sure they won’t want to ask you questions about this?” the librarian stammered.  

“They can reach me through the hospital,” Luffa said, “But first I want to check this out.”  She waved for Chirad to come along, and they headed for the nearest open window, leaving the librarian to shake her fists in useless protest.

*******

* * *

Keda found herself still alive, and still disguised as Luffa.  Both of these conditions pleased her.  She wasn’t sure until now if her powers worked while she was unconscious, or if she would revert to her normal form of an nine-year-old Dorlun girl.  

Not that her current resemblance to a Saiyan woman was doing her any favors at the moment.  Wherever her captors had taken her, it resembled some sort of catacombs.  Her wrists were bound behind her back, and she sat in a chair that seemed to be made of scorched planks of wood.  Two women stood guard on either side of the chair, their hands held up in an odd pose, as if they were about to cast a magic spell on her.  They were Bigreenese natives, with pale green skin and half-red, half-blue hair.  Their outfits looked like cheap theater costumes.

She struggled against her bonds, more to test them than anything else.  Keda was concerned for her safety, but she had learned from infancy how to maximize her odds of survival.   At the moment, she was in no immediate danger, so her first priority was to learn as much about her surroundings as she could.  She expected that she could alter her shape to slip free of her bonds, but when she tugged on them, she felt an interesting sensation, and she noticed the women’s fingers jostle slightly.  She tried again, and produced a similar result.  At last, one of the duo decided to explain it to her.

“We have created an interlocking energy shield using our power within it will encircle all around you,“ boasted the one on her left. "The harder you fight the tighter our energy field will bind you until you are powerless heyeahheh!”

"We are the Terror Twins,” bragged the one on Keda’s right.  "We always win!“

Keda then noticed nearly-invisible threads running from her wrists to their fingertips. They glistened slightly from time to time, but Keda reasoned that they must be made from the women’s _ki_.  They were probably no match for the _ki_ of genuine fighters like Luffa or Wampaaan'riix, but it was sufficient to keep Keda from escaping.  No matter how thin she made her wrists and hands, the ‘Terror Twins’ would simply tighten their 'energy field’ to compensate.  

"Are you comfortable, my child?” asked an old woman in a dark crimson robe.  Her voice sounded more like a middle-aged man trying to sound like an old woman, however.  "You sit in the throne of the High Priesthood a seat normally occupied by me you should feel honored.“  

"What do you want from me?” Keda asked evenly.  "I admit I’m not quite myself lately, but even sick Space Warriors are nothing to be trifled with.“

The High Priestess chuckled an placed her fingers on Keda’s chin.  "Your deception is futile my child you’re not fooling anyone down here.  Yes yes, we know you are not a true _Space Warrior_ but a trickster so why not reveal your true self to us?”

Keda sighed and relaxed her body, but only partially.  Her blue skin and red hair returned, as did her grey tunic and pants, but she retained the adult proportions of Luffa.  Perhaps, she thought, it might give her an edge.  

“How did you know?” she asked.  

“We of Society S3 know everything that needs to be known, my child, we have agents everywhere on Planet Bigreen,” the Priestess gloated.  "Yes, yes, it was my faithful servant who spotted you that day, transforming your body to imitate your Space _Warrior_ friend.  What was her name?  Yes Ruhffer I believe it was, you were much too careless.“

"It’s 'Luffa’, blast it,” Keda grumbled.  "With an 'oo’ sound.  How do you even get 'Ruhffer’ from that?“

The Priestess ignored her question and continued.  "It has been too long since I have hosted a child in this place so I’ll tell you what I’m going to do.  I’ll tell you a story.  You’d like that wouldn’t you yes I think you would but you have no choice.”

Keda wanted to point out that she did have a choice, since she could use her powers to close her ear canals from the inside, but she wanted to hear this.  Any information this woman could provide might give her an opportunity.  

“You see Chanisp was a _Space Warrior_ like your friend Ruhffer, but he was different as you well know.  No doubt your friend told you about his invincible power, the power he used to overthrow the rightful ruler of Bigreen the ruler whose return we of Society S3 eagerly await yes it’s true!”

“The way I heard it,” Keda said, “Bigreen was grateful to be rid of this ruler you’re talking about.  Even if he could come back after all these centuries, he’d never be able to reclaim power.”

“She blasphemes our Sovereign!” one of the henchwomen hissed.

“Even as she sits upon his throne!” the other added.  

The Priestess raised her shriveled hand to calm them.  "It is of no concern, my angels, soon our Sovereign will be among us and able to answer such insolence personally.  You would be wise to show more respect, little one.  Act the age you try to appear.  Yes, you do not fool me I have seen your true self through the magic stick.“  

She raised her other hand from the folds of her robe and revealed a long staff which forked into two prongs on one end.  "Yes, our Sovereign was a diviner as well as a great ruler he could see into the future and this was the secret to his illustrious reign.  He foresaw that the Legendary Warrior of Space would overpower him, so he laid secret plans to ensure his rule would be restored!  He only feigned defeat, while in fact he allowed the power of Chanisp to distract all of Bigreen while he escaped.  Then my ancestor, his most trusted adviser, began planting the seeds for his return!”

“And where do I fit into all of this?” Keda asked.  

Our Sovereign foresaw that there would one day come a shape-changer who would assume the form of Chanisp’s hated race,“ the Priestess said, her decrepit voice dripping with contempt.  "He said that it was her blood, that is to say your blood, which will activate the means for his return.  I myself do not know why this should be.  Perhaps the blood of your kind has special powers to revive, or my great and everlasting Sovereign knew that your presence on Bigreen would be a unique occurrence, and thus ensure the correct timing of a resurrection that was bound to take place eventually.  We shall sacrifice you over his tomb, and when the blood drains from your body, he shall be rise again and be restored once more ha ha!  And there is nothing you can do to stop it!”

Keda glowered at the High Priestess.  She saw a chance to survive, but it was a narrow one, even if this cult’s prophecy turned out to be false.  

And if any of it turned out to be _true_ … if the ancient tyrant of Bigreen really _could_ be revived… 

Keda didn’t like those odds at all.  

*******

* * *

“Whoa it’s a monument!” Chirad gasped as he pulled away the last of the vegetation.   The coordinates in Keda’s notes had been for a long-abandoned tourist attraction.  Luffa and Chirad had found it easily enough, but it had taken them nearly and hour to remove enough debris and overgrown weeds to determine what it was.

“A monument to Chinasp, I take it,” Luffa said.  She used her _ki_ to create a stiff gust of wind that cleaned the dust off of what appeared to be a museum exhibit.  "This place looks like no one’s been here in a hundred years.  So why did Keda think it was so important?“

"Rats I was hoping we might find signs of the cult!” Chirad said, “but I guess I was wrong again darn what rotten luck who needs this?”

“What cult, Chirad?” Luffa asked.  "And what does it have to do with Keda?“

"They’re a secret society that worships the Tyrant Demon whom Chanisp overthrew,” Chirad explained.  "I found out about them during my research, only I couldn’t find any proof they still existed they’re really sneaky.  They believe the Tyrant will return some day and take over Bigreen.  Now that Chanisp is gone, there’d be no one to stop him and he could pretty much do anything he wanted anything at all.“  

"Okay,” Luffa said.  "So maybe you’ve got something there.  I mean, I can’t think of anyone else who’d want to kidnap Keda, but why?  If they had a problem with her studying the legend, why didn’t they ever come after you?“

Chirad chuckled nervously and rubbed his hand through the hair on the back of his head.  "Heh-heh. I guess I didn’t think it through very well. I was hoping those coordinates she wrote down might be a big break something I never found out that the cult would want to keep secret like the location of their secret base but I guess I was wrong?”

“Well, if you wanted to set up a secret base, this would be a good place for it,” Luffa said, knocking a pile of dead brush off of an electrical box.  "But I can’t sense anyone here except you and me.  Dammit!“

"It’s okay,” Chirad said.  "The authorities can help us find her–“

"Great.  Swell,” Luffa said.  "They can take care of the important stuff, and I can waste time convalescing and trespassing on old memorials!“  Chirad opened his mouth, but Luffa cut him off, anticipating his question.  She took a seat on a moss-covered slab of concrete and rubbed her temples.  

"I was a mercenary,” she explained.  "Long story short, I took a job to defend Keda’s home, and I blew it.  I became incredibly strong in the process, but it didn’t do her a bit of good.  In the end, _she_ had to come to _my_ rescue.“  

Chirad took a seat beside her and patted her on the shoulder.  Luffa found this grating, but decided not to object.  For all his awkwardness, at least Chirad was listening.  

"I’m here because I’m _too_ strong, if that makes any sense,” she said.  "That’s why I’m wearing these sunglasses.  No one’s sure if it’s safe for me to transform into a giant ape.  But it doesn’t really matter, does it?  I could be a thousand times stronger than I already am, and I still can’t find my friend.  Hell, she _could_ be safe and sound and I still would have no idea.  And I can’t even get too worked up about it, or I’ll have another… episode.  Trust me, you don’t want to know.  You’re not a full-blooded Saiyan, Chirad, so I don’t know if you can understand.  Remember when you hit my palm to show me how strong you were?“  

Chirad nodded and made an excited noise.  

"You were excited to show off, even for just a minute.  Your Saiyan grandfather would be proud.  But imagine if you felt like that _all the time_.  Just… consumed with this urge to hit _everything_ as hard as you can whether it makes any sense or not.  Now imagine you’re so strong that nothing you hit can fight back.  You’re not a warrior anymore, not even an animal.  At least animals kill to survive.  You’d just be… some kind of _killing machine_.”

She looked at Chirad and saw in his eyes a mixture of terror and pity.  Luffa laughed bitterly.  

“All we want out of life is power, so we can do more, be more, _fight more_ ,” she said.  "But it’s a joke.  We’re just fooling ourselves.  Because eventually you get so strong that there’s no point to it anymore.  I envy you, Chirad.  At least you have something to work towards.“

"W-well maybe you’re just going about it wrong,” Chirad said.  "That is, er, I mean you just haven’t figured out what it is you need to do with your power yet uhhhhh… I hope that makes sense sorry if it doesn’t.“

She nodded and hopped up from her seat.  "You’re right.  I have to deal with this whether I want to or not. I just wish that I– What’s that over there?”

Luffa pointed to what looked like a large structure in the back of the lot.  It was still covered in vines and dead leaves, but there was a piece sticking out from the middle that looked like a man’s arm.  Together they cleared the debris and found a life-sized statue of a man atop a large platform.  

It was a likeness of a Saiyan.  

“Chanisp?” Luffa asked.  "I mean, it has to be, right?“  

Time had not been kind to the stone statues in the memorial park.  Many of their features had eroded from the wind and rain, and some had been vandalized.  But this one seemed to be built from a more durable material.  

"This is Polyphen Resin!” Chirad cried.  "But it looks pretty old, you can tell from the font on the dedication plaque down here, and the way the base is designed oh wow this is an amazing find we ought to have it dated but I bet it’s from at least a thousand years ago.“

"Did they have Polyphen Resin that long ago?” Luffa asked.

“Not much it was hard to make,” Chirad explained.  "But it was available if you could afford it wow can you imagine this much of it must have cost a fortune!“

Luffa looked it over.  If Chirad’s estimate was correct, the artist who produced this likeness may have actually had a living model to work with, and so this might have been what the real Chanisp actually looked like.  His hair and eyes were as black as her own (for now, at least), but his skin was much paler and dotted with freckles.  His chest and arms bore large scars, and his only clothing were simple white pantaloons and a pair of bracers on his wrists.  A golden diadem adorned his forehead.  Luffa would have found such jewelry repugnant on any living Saiyan, but somehow on Chanisp it seemed appropriate.  Was it a crown, or simply the fashion of the time?  

The sculpture was a classic Saiyan pose, with his feet apart, knees bent, and fists raised to waist height.  His bearded face looked as though he had been captured in mid-shout, frozen for all eternity in furious defiance.  She thought there might be a slight resemblance to herself in his face, but perhaps that was wishful thinking.  

"He’s something, isn’t he?” Luffa said with awe.  "My mother used to tell me he could defeat any ten Saiyans in combat, even though he had no tail.“

"What, no tail!?” Chirad asked.  "Oh, right because that demon cut them off so he could eat them, ewwww gross!“

She checked the rear of the piece and confirmed that no tail was present, just a nasty looking patch of scar tissue where the tail had once been.  "He never gave up,” she said.  "The demon who enslaved the Saiyans thought we were helpless without our tails to turn us into giant apes, and a lot of Saiyans thought he was right.  But Chanisp trained hard.  He was determined to find a way to increase his strength in his normal form, so when he confronted the demon, he could take him totally by surprise.“

"Then he came to Bigreen and did it all over again, wahoo!” Chirad said.  

“That must be why Keda was interested in this place,” Luffa said.  "She knew I was down in the dumps, so she probably thought if I saw this statue it’d give me a boost.  Heh.  She’s a smart kid.  Here I’m whining about being too powerful.  If Chanisp were here he’d knock me on my ass to teach me a lesson.“

She looked over to Chirad and smiled deviously.  "How about it, Chirad?  If he was standing here right now, in the flesh, you’d fight _him_ , right?  Not that you’d win, but just to say you’d done it.”

Chirad started making noises that could have been laughter or hyperventilation.  But the anxious smile on his face was all the answer Luffa needed.  "Well, we’re wasting our time here.  We might as well head back to the city and see what we can find out.“

But as they turned to go, they saw the sky had turned unnaturally dark.  Normally the lights of the city made the night sky look a dark pink color, but the sun wasn’t supposed to set for another hour, and yet the sky had become a mournful brown.  Green lighting flashed over the city, but all of it seemed to converge in a single spot.

"Wh-what’s going on?” Chirad stammered.  "That looks like the library!  Getting hit by all that lightning!  Oh no this is too bad.“

Luffa felt something from that same location as well.  A powerful _ki_ that was unlike any she had ever sensed before.  How had it emerged out of nowhere like this, and so quickly?

"Maybe that cult you were talking about was more real than anyone thought,” Luffa said.  She turned back to glance at Chinasp’s statue. “C'mon.  We’d better check this out.”

**NEXT: Let That Child Alone**


	14. Chapter 14

_**[5 January, 237 Before Age.  Planet Bigreen.]** _

Deep beneath the surface of Planet Bigreen, the cult known as Society S3 was engrossed in a bizarre ritual.

Their High Priestess, an ancient and spiteful Bigreenese woman named Vien, had lain a nine-year-old Dorlun girl on a large stone crypt.  Guided by madness or a genuine mystic foresight, she was convinced that spilling the child’s blood on the tomb would bring about the revival of its occupant.  

The child, a shape-shifter named Keda, struggled against mystic threads that held her arms down on the lid of the crypt.  These ligatures were made of pure energy, wielded by a pair of Vien’s acolytes.  Vien herself raised a ceremonial dagger over the child’s heart, and her eyes began to roll back with unholy reverence for the proceedings.  

“The hour draws near!” she cried.  The room was filled to capacity with her followers, all clad in dark red robes.  "Let us call out the name of our great Lord, the High Sovereign, his Majesty Lord Hamey all hail King Hamey as he rises to reclaim his throne!“

Keda set her jaw and kept her eyes locked on the knife held inches above her.  In spite of the situation, she refused to give in to despair.  There was still time.  There was still a chance to survive.  

Around her, the Bigreenese cultists began to chant in a low, ominous tone: "HAAA-MEYYYY-HAAAA-MEYYYY-HAAAA-MEYYYY-HAAAA-MEYYY-HAAAA…”

Vien raised the knife over her head, and plunged it down into Keda’s chest as hard as she could.  Keda gasped, then fell silent as her blood flowed from the wound and pooled on the crypt lid beneath her.  

For a moment, nothing happened.  The cultists continued their chant nonetheless, and then suddenly the crypt began to crack open.  A green light shone from within, and grew in intensity.  

“He rises!” Vien shrieked. “H-Hamey!  This is glorious the moment we have all waited for is here at last! Oh–oh–Ahhhhhhhhh!”

The crypt crumbled into pieces, and Keda’s body rolled off to the floor.  A muscular man with cerulean skin and orange hair floated from the rubble and rose to a standing position.  He looked at the red-robed crowd and smiled warmly.  

“I see you have succeeded in reviving me,” he said in a noble, cheerful voice.  "Well done my loyal subjects.  You shall be handsomely rewarded for your efforts.  Now I need only conquer this planet, and my restoration will be complete.“

He frowned, and concentrated on raising his ki.  A green aura rippled across his body as he yelled.  "Yes!” he shouted. “The dark magic spells are energizing me, drawing power from this very world!  I want it all!  Yes!  I WANT IT ALL!”

“Great Hamey,” Vien said anxiously, “I congratulate you on your glorious return, but much has happened during your absence from this world.  I must inform you of–!”

She was bowled over by Hamey’s aura, as were several other cultists who had been standing too close.  Hamey sneered at her.  

“ _I WANT THE MAGIC STICK!_ ” he screamed.  

Vien scrambled to her feet as quickly as she could, and handed over the divining rod that had once belonged to him.  He held it in his hands and raised it to chest height.  Eldritch energies flowed from the rod and mingled with his aura.

“ _NOW I WANT_ **TOTAL POWERRRRRRRRRRrrrrrrrr**!” he yelled.

The mystic glow of the divining rod spilled across the entire crowd, and each of the cultists could feel it permeating their bodies.

“Wait!  What is he doing?” asked one of the cultists.  "To _us_?“

They all wondered the same thing.  It was the last question any of them would ever ask.

********

* * *

Luffa and Chirad arrived at the library just in time to see a column of green energy burst up from beneath the building.  When the light faded, Hamey hung in the air before them.  

"Who the hell are you?” Luffa demanded.  

“It’s him,” Chirad gasped.  "The Tyrant Demon who ruled our planet oh no!“

"I see you’re a Space Warrior,” Hamey said cordially.   He brandished his scepter  towards Luffa and made a contemptuous snort.  "No doubt one of Chanisp’s descendants, but you’re nowhere near as powerful as he was. I give you fair warning, I am the legendary king of this world you address the Great Hamey, and I am not to be taken lightly.  Go now, before I destroy you.“

He turned to Chirad and regarded him with contempt.  "As for you, you should know that I am no demon.  I hail from the world of Hera, a world of powerful beings of fantastic strength, a world of your betters, which was destroyed many ages ago!  I came to this planet to rule it as a god, and you dare to stand before me with this Space Warrior?  Unthinkable?”

“Yeah, I’m a Saiyan,” Luffa snarled.  "And so is he.  The way I see it, two of us ought to be more than enough to fill in for Chanisp tonight.“  She looked to Chirad.  "You want to go first, or should I?”

“Th-this is incredible I can’t believe I’m seeing this,” Chirad gasped. “The Tyrant Demon of Bigreen isn’t a demon at all but an alien from a dead planet?  This amazing stupendous it’s too much!”  He shook his head and focused on Hamey.  "I know I haven’t got a chance, but I’ll battle with all the strength I got in me!“  

Luffa crossed her arms and backed away to give them room.  "That’s the spirit!  Just save some for me, okay?”

“Oh ho, a Bigreenese dog wants to challenge his master this certainly is amusing!” Hamey said.  "Well come ahead then let’s see what you can do.  Yaaaahh!“

Chirad swallowed hard, and raised his hand high above his head. Luffa sensed him channeling his _ki_ , and a thin blade of light began to coalesce above his open palm.

"Magnetic Diiiiiiiscs!” Chirad cried.  He began to yell, and strangely Hamey started to yell along with him.  

“Yerrrrruuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhh!” Chirad screeched.

“Rrrrrrrrrrggggg!” Hamey growled.

“EeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeyyyyyyaaaaaaaaaaaggghhhhhhYAAAAAAAA!” Chirad screamed.

Luffa was beginning to regret letting him fight first.  

At last Chirad launched his attack.  He missed Hamey completely, but before Luffa could complain, the discs of light arced back towards them, and zeroed in on Hamey’s body.  Amused, the Heran tyrant floated just far enough in one direction to avoid them.  The discs returned, and he avoided them again.  At last he waved his Magic Stick, and a beam of light lanced out from the two prongs, dispersing the energy discs into nothingness.  

Chirad was frustrated, but kept calm.  He yelled again and raised his hand to prepare a second volley, but Hamey closed in on him with amazing speed. Before Chirad could react, Hamey thrust his knee into his gut, then followed with a left hook to his jaw that sent the Saiyan/Bigreen hybrid crashing to the ground.  

Hamey turned to face Luffa.  "And it is your arrogance that will destroy you!“ he taunted.  

"It isn’t arrogance,” Luffa said.  She raised her _ki_ as high as she dared.  "I don’t know how you came back from the dead, but a Saiyan defeated you once and I can do it again.“  

"The thing is, they’re alike physically, but when it comes to right and wrong they’re opposites,” Hamey said cryptically.  "You may share Chanisp’s blood, but you haven’t a fraction of his strength.“

"We’ll see about that!” Luffa shouted.  She charged Hamey and speared him with her left shoulder.  The two of them sailed through the air until they hit a building and crashed through the other side.  Before Hamey could recover, Luffa threw a few punches to his head, then flipped away in midair to avoid his counterattack.  

“Impressive you’re stronger than I gave you credit for,” Hamey said as he wiped his mouth.  "But you’re still no match for me.“

He held up his diving rod and green lightning arced through the air and struck Luffa.  The pain was excruciating, but she had suffered far worse.  She rallied her ki and forced it outward in all directions, shielding herself from the lightning just long enough to fire back with a red energy blast of her own.  Hamey tumbled backward and struggled to right himself.

"I seem to be doing pretty well, Hamey,” Luffa replied. “Maybe you’re rusty after all those centuries of sitting around.”

He lost his composure, and charged straight for her.  Luffa dodged with ease, and hit him with a kidney punch.  He tried to recover, but she simply knocked the divining rod from his hand and sent him crashing to the ground with a kick.  

“Come on, Hamey, I thought you Herans were supposed to be tough!” Luffa called out.  "Or would you like to find me a _real_ demon to fight in your place?  Hah!  I’m starting to wonder if my ancestor was _overrated!_ “

She didn’t truly believe any of it.  Hamey had reserves of power that her senses couldn’t quite perceive.  Luffa was sure he was holding back his true ability, but she wanted to see his full strength before committing to any strategy.  

Suddenly, Hamey was right above her, and he pummeled her with rapid-fire blows.  She nearly raised her _ki_ out of reflex, but she stubbornly maintained her power level and weathered the storm.  When he finally let up, Luffa shook it off and grinned at him in defiance.  

"Is that all you’ve got for me?” she scoffed.  

Hamey’s furious expression was all the answer she needed.  

*******

* * *

Below, Chirad struggled to get back to his feet.  Hamey’s attack wasn’t enough to finish him, but it had convinced him to let Luffa take over.   He looked around and saw the the hole in the library that he had come from, and decided to investigate.  When he went inside the building he took the elevator to the lowest sub-basement, and found a blue-skinned little girl climbing out of the hole in the floor.  

“Are you all right?  What are you doing here this is no place for a kid wha–?” he squealed.   Chriad helped her out of the hole and noticed the bloody wound on her chest.  

Keda laughed weakly.  "They tried to kill me down there.  Some kind of cult.   Needed my blood to resurrect…“

Chirad caught her by the shoulders before she could topple over.  "It looks like they stabbed you, how on Bigreen did you survive uhhhh this is kind of creepy too much for me.”

“I’m Keda,” she said.  "I’m a shape-shifter.  I saw the knife coming straight for my heart, so I moved it.  My heart, I mean.“  She patted her chest weakly.  "I lost a lot of blood, but they missed my vital organs.  After that, they lost interest in me.  I think their reborn ruler was a little more than they expected.  They all went into some kind of trance, and he blasted his way up to the surface.  That’s where this hole came from.”

Chirad was about to suggest taking her to the hospital, but then he noticed several figures floating up from the hole in the floor.  They all wore hooded robes of dark red, and their eyes glowed an eerie yellow color.  Their faces looked blank and expressionless, as though they had no idea what they were doing.  

Then they began to advance upon Chirad, their arms raised menacingly.  Chirad placed himself between them and the child and took a defensive posture.  

“You should get to safety, little girl, I’ll try to hold ‘em off!  Hmmm!”

“No,” Keda said.  She raised her right hand, and revealed a small ray gun pistol.  "I picked this up on my way out of that hole.  And I think I know how to use it.“  

"Uhhhh… _who_ is this _girl?_ ” Chirad stammered.

*******

* * *

The battle had not gone well.  Luffa and Hamey were both holding back, but he seemed to be gaining ground against her.  After several minutes of fighting, he had drawn first blood, while Luffa had yet to slow him down.  

“You should give up now, Warrior,” Hamey mocked.  "This is my world, and I shall conquer it whether you interfere or not.  Even now my loyal subjects receive my power, and they shall go out to do my bidding!“

Luffa’s response was a _ki_ blast to Hamey’s jaw.  It struck him, creating a cloud of smoke, but then he emerged unharmed and struck back with a punch to Luffa’s cheek.  She went into free-fall, but then Hamey caught her by the hair.  

"Let me show you just how hopeless your struggle is!” he said.  He descended to the streets below, where a column of Bigreenese security forces had gathered to make their stand.  

“There he is men get ready to do your duty now open fire!” their commander shouted.  

His troops obeyed, and their weapons and vehicles poured out a stream of energy blasts into their intended target.  None of it touched Hamey or Luffa, as he had erected a mystic force field to deflect the attack.  

“I shall need _more_ loyal subjects to subdue this planet,” he sneered.  "Fortunately my magicks are quite effective on the people of this world that is why I selected it for conquest!“  He raised his divining rod and it roiled with purple energy.  It sent out a beam of light back into the soldiers, and when it faded, they all lowered their weapons and saluted.  

"Hail Lord Hamey!” they shouted in unison.  "His Sublime Majesty Lord Hamey!“

"There you see?” he asked Luffa.  "Their minds are quite easy for me to manipulate within a few days they will all be totally loyal to me you are fighting for nothing–ARRGH!“

Luffa had used a beam of energy from her fingers to cut off the hair Hamey had clutched in his hand.  Before he had noticed, she had taken that same hand and bitten into his palm.  

Hamey screamed and borught his divining rod down to aim it at her.  Without releasing his hand from her teeth she raised her own hand and fired a ki blast at his face.  This one hit home.  Hamey’s whole head was engulfed in red energy, and he dropped his divining rod to clutch at his face.  Luffa finally let go of his hand and slipped around to his back to deliver a kick to his lower spine.  Then the inside of his left knee.  Then his right.  Then his ribs.  She would dismantle him, whittle him down inch by inch until there was nothing left.  

The soldiers charged towards them, now eager to defend their new master.  Luffa swung out her hand and launched a wide field of energy, enough to force them back without seriously hurting them.  She debated kicking Hamey in the groin, but she decided to save that for later.  Instead she went for his ribs a third time–

And Hamey was ready for her.  He caught her ankle and flung her over his head, face-first to the pavement.  

"YOU INSOLENT–!” he howled.  "You’ll regret this!  YOU’LL REGRET THIS!“

Luffa kipped up to her feet and saw she had left a large burn on the left side of his face.  He was clutching the hand she had bitten in the other.  She smiled wickedly, and she could still feel the warmth of his blood on her tongue and lips.  So far she wasn’t regretting anything.

Then he started to change.  His blue skin began to change in hue until it was a yellow-green.  His orange hair became blood red, and his green aura tripled in size and intensity.  Luffa could sense the increase in his _ki_.  Hamey was finished holding back.

"You should feel honored,” he said.  "I used this form to fight your ancestor Chanisp.  He was stronger then, but he still failed to destroy me so what chance do you have?“

Luffa raised her fists and and set her jaw.  "I’m a Saiyan,” she said.  "That’s all the chance I’ll ever need.“

Before he could make his next move, a third fighter appeared on the street, taking position at Luffa’s side.

"Wampaaan'riix?” Luffa said, glancing to the massive, white-haired creature.  

“I sensed your battle and decided to see for myself,” Wampaaan'riix said.  "Are you hurt?“

"I’m fine,” she said.  "But this guy’s too much for you to handle.  Clear out.  I’ve got this.“

"Like hell,” Wampaaan'riix said.  "You’re not even using your full strength against him.“

"I’m using all the strength I _need_ to use,” she grumbled.  "Now beat it!“

"What’s the matter with you, Luffa?” Wampaaan'riix demanded.  

Before she could argue, Hamey leaped between them and struck them both between the shoulder blades with his elbows.  As they toppled over, he grabbed Luffa by the collar of her jumpsuit and swung her around into Wampaaan'riix’s abdomen.  Then he fired a ki blast at close range, and both of them were propelled into the sky, far beyond the horizon.  

 

**NEXT: I am Legend**


	15. Chapter 15

**[5 January, 237 Before Age.  Planet Bigreen]**

“What is _wrong_ with you, Luffa!?” Wampaaan'riix demanded.  

They had crashed into a hillside beyond the outskirts of Bigreen’s captial city.  The abandoned memorial Keda had discovered was only a few hundred yards away.  

Luffa stood up and brushed off her yellow jumpsuit.  The sunglasses she wore to prevent herself from transforming at the sight of the full moon had miraculously survived.  In her condition, such a transformation could prove disastrous, and Planet Bigreen had many large moons in its night sky.  

But the night sky was currently filled with thick, rotten-brown clouds, which glowed with a faint, eerie light.  Green lightning crackled through the gloomy expanse, occasionally striking the ground.  Such was the power of the resurrected Tyrant Demon, Lord Hamey, a sorcerer from the extinct world of Hera.  Having foreseen his demise at the hands of a legendary warrior, Hamey had used his magic to fake his death, so that he could be revived a millennium later and pick up where he left off.  The Saiyan Chanisp went down in Bigreenese history as a great liberator, but his heroism had only delayed the inevitable.  Luffa had tried to defeat Hamey once and for all, but the battle had not gone well.  

“What’s _wrong_ is that pompous Heran is still _breathing_ ,” she seethed.  "What’s _wrong_ is that some _shaggy white oaf_ is hellbent on getting in my way!“

"I came to help you,” Wampaaan'riix shouted.  "I sensed you fighting that man and you were badly over-matched!  I thought you were hurt–“

” _And you were wrong_!“ Luffa shouted back.  "I’m fine! When I want your help I’ll _ask for it_!  Now stay out of my way!”

“He’ll kill you if you don’t use your full strength!” Wampaaan'riix growled.  "What’s stopping you?!“

"Shut!   _Up!_ ” Luffa screamed.  "I _am_ using my full strength!  I’m fighting with as much power as I can without turning into that… that _thing_!  I don’t want it, and I don’t need it!  I’ll _defeat_ Hamey as a Saiyan, just as Chanisp did!“

"What are you talking about?!” Wampaaan'riix shouted.  "Chanisp is dead, Luffa!  Whoever Hamey is, he doesn’t look beaten to me!“

"Fine!  I’ll show you!” Luffa growled.  She waved for him to follow, then she took off for the memorial.  

*******

In the library of the capital city, Keda leveled her pistol and fired a beam of blue light into the chest of a Bigreenese cultist.   He gasped and fell motionless to the floor, but two more floated from behind him to take his place.  Keda stepped back and waited for her weapon to recharge.  The cultists did nothing to defend themselves.  They simply moaned and floated towards her like ghosts, their arms held out trance-like in front of them, their heads lolling to one side or the other.

“Is there another way out of here?” she asked.  

Beside her, Chirad clenched his fists until they glowed yellow.  When he was ready, he launched a stream of golden light at the advancing cultists.  Most of his ancestors were native to Bigreen, but one of his grandparents was a Saiyan like Luffa, and he had channeled that warrior heritage into a somewhat respectable level of strength that most librarians would never dream of.  Although he would never admit it aloud, it had always been a fantasy of his to defend his workplace from a horde of bloodthirsty villains.   The only thing missing was the attractive lady from special collections to watch his exploits in lovestruck awe.  

“There’s an emergency exit down the hall but oh no if we use it the alarm will go off aw I hope I don’t get in trouble for this!” Chirad rambled.

“I’m pretty sure this qualifies as an emergency!” Keda said.  She took three steps to the right and lined up her next shot to pass through three cultists instead of just one.  The results were encouraging.  Her pistol was powerful but it took a long time to recharge.  

*******

They landed in the abandoned park where the memorial stood.  Luffa angrily searched through the darkness for the sculpture she had discovered.

“I met a man in the city named Chirad,” Luffa explained.  "He’s mostly Bigreenese, but he had a Saiyan grandfather.  We found this statue of Chanisp earlier today… over there!“

Wampaaan'riix approached the sculpture and created a ball of ki energy in his hand to illuminate it.  "What does this have to do with anything?” he asked.  

“Everything!” Luffa insisted.  "Chanisp defeated Hamey, the man we were fighting earlier, but he cheated death so he could come back and take over in the present day.  I can finish what my ancestor started!  I have to do this!“

"So do it!” Wampaaan'riix shouted.  "Use your maximum power and finish him as quickly as possible!“

"That’s what I’m trying to do!” Luffa shrieked.  "Look at him, Wampaaan'riix!  Look at him!  Black hair!  Dark eyes!  Chanisp was the strongest of my race, and he did it as a normal Saiyan!  Not by… _changing_ into… into some glowing yellow freak!“

She felt her body on the cusp of transforming into the very form she despised.  She struggled to contain her anger, and shut her eyes to concentrate.  So she never noticed the giant hairy hand as it slapped her in the face.  

If looks could kill, Wampaaan'riix would have died horribly in that moment.  As it was, he returned Luffa’s glower with a contemptuous stare of his own.  

"You little _fool_!” he thundered.  "Are you telling me you’re so sentimental that you let a hunk of molded plastic plan your battles for you?!“  

"I’m really beginning to wonder why I spared your life, Yetitan,” she said ominously.

“If that damned statue was dressed like a circus clown, would you ask Hamey to wait until you found a rubber ball to wear on your nose?” Wampaaan'riix snarled.  "If you hadn’t used that glowing yellow form on the Tikosi planet they would have killed us all!  You certainly didn’t mind using it to save all our lives then!  Thank Providence you didn’t spot any _discouraging statues_ that might have slowed you down!  Now I don’t know a damned thing about Chanisp or Saiyans or this blasted legend, but I do know that this Hamey character is dangerous.  He has to be stopped now and you can only do it by using your transformed strength.  So stop whining and do it!“

” _YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE!_ “ she howled.

He was dumbfounded, and Luffa realized it was because there were tears running down her face.  She covered her eyes with her palms and clawed at her forehead.  

"You all… keep _talking about it l_ ike it’s some neat trick I can do,” Luffa moaned.  "Like I just need to work out the kinks and it’ll be perfectly natural… convenient, even.  But I have to see it from the inside, and it’s not ‘pretty’.  It’s raw power, and it doesn’t care about honor or pride or fighting spirit.  It just wants to kill and destroy until I drown in blood.  

“And maybe you’re right… maybe I could learn to control it.  Embrace that side of me.  Maybe I would have enjoyed that challenge before I read your mind, Wampaaan'riix.  When I spared your life that day, I saw your thoughts, felt your helplessness.  Then I got turned into a guinea pig for the Tikosi, and I felt just as weak and helpless as you.  Then I turned into… that _thing_.  I made my father feel weak and helpless… and I slaughtered him without hesitation.  He deserved what I did to him, but I still have to live with it.”

She made a pathetic noise and pointed at the statue of Chanisp.  "When I found that sculpture, I thought maybe I could find another way, you know?  Maybe I could control my powers and be a hero like Chanisp.  And maybe he was a pretty ruthless guy, but at least he could choose his battles instead of going on a killing spree.   If I could just finish off Hamey like he did, then it would prove I’m on the right track.“

Wampaaan'riix sighed and knelt down to embrace her.  "Luffa, I’m truly sorry,” he said.  "You know so much of my thoughts that I sometimes think that I know yours much better than I actually do.“  

"I’m just afraid,” she murmured.  "I’m afraid of what might happen if I use my full power, and what might happen if I _don’t_ use it.  I don’t know what to do.“  

"And yet you must decide,” Wampaaan'riix said.  Hamey is too powerful for me or anyone else on this planet.  "You could only stop him in your transformed state, and this carries risks of its own.  But fighting him without it will be suicide, Luffa.  You must know this.  Chanisp surely never meant for you to die.“

"What else is there?” Luffa asked.  

“We can run,” Wampaaan'riix said.  "Don’t look so disgusted, it would only be a temporary withdrawal until we could devise an alternative.  Hamey seeks to rule the people of Bigreen, not to destroy them.  They might suffer for a time, but they would still be alive.  However, he might not show such mercy to outsiders like us.  I can collect Keda and Dr. Topsas and we can slip away while Hamey is consolidating his power.“

"Keda!” Luffa gasped.  "I forgot about her.  She went missing, Wampaaan'riix.  We never did figure out what happened to her, but that cult backing Hamey was probably behind–“

"Let me worry about Keda,” Wampaaan'riix said.  "I want you to get back to our ship.  Supress your _ki_ just in case Hamey tries to look for you.  We’ll all meet there and plan our next move once we’re off-planet.“  

She bristled at the thought of retreat, temporary or otherwise.  But Wampaaan'riix made too much sense.  "Be careful,” she said.  "I’ll see you at the ship.“

The Yetitan nodded and took to the air.  His aura flashed and propelled him into the distance, back toward the city.  Luffa turned to make her own departure, but then she stopped and took one more look at the sculpture of Chanisp.  

"Sorry,” she said.  "It just won’t work out, at least not right now.  I wanted to be like you… make you proud.  But I’m not like you at all.  I have to fix that first.“

She floated up a few feet to look the figure in the eye.  The statue was life-sized, but mounted on a large pedastal, and Chanisp was apparently quite tall.  With her head at the same level as his, Luffa noticed the toes of her boots dangling just below Chanisp’s knees.  

There was barely enough light to see now, and Luffa’s sunglasses only made things worse.  She generated a ball of energy in her hand, just as Wampaaan'riix had done, only hers was brighter.  And because she was higher up, with a larger light source at a different angle, she was able to see the cable on the wall behind Chanisp’s likeness.  There was a placard on the wall at the height of his neck, just over one shoulder.  Luffa couldn’t read Bigreenese script, but the pictogram was clear enough.  It was a lightning bolt, indicating a power supply.  Below that was a diagram indicating that it connected with the statue.  

Luffa’s curiosity was piqued.  The statue must have had its own lighting at one time.  She wondered if it was still connected to the city’s power grid.  If she had to leave, she could at least send a parting message to Hamey.  He would eventually notice the lights, and when he investigated, he would find his old nemesis defying him one last time.  A reminder of what lay in store for him.  

She smiled and started searching around the pedestal to find a power switch.  She knew it was a waste of time, and it was likely that the wiring had been corroded from centuries of disrepair, but she had to try.  It was too good an idea to pass up.  At last, she found an electrical box and threw the main switch.  There was a hum and a whirring noise, like some hidden machine priming itself for activity.   Luffa stepped away to watch the statue for any change.  

There was a light, but it didn’t shine down on the sculpture.  Instead it came from Chanisp’s likeness itself.  His pale skin started to glow, as did his white trousers.  Luffa found this rather garish, like the sort of novelty advertisement one might see at a casino resort, or a child’s toy magnified to a ridiculous scale.

"Well, at least it’ll give Hamey a scare,” she grunted.  She floated up to the head of the statue and rubbed its nose for good luck.  "He’ll probably shatter you into a million pieces, but that’s nothing you can’t handle.  One last bout for the Legendary Space Warrior, eh?“

Then a new light appeared, and Luffa was so startled that she nearly fell.  The black polymer that comprised Chanisp’s hair and eyes began to glow…. and change color.

” _No.._.“ Luffa whispered.  "No, no, no….”

But the machines in the statue were not finished.  Now the pedestal began to light up, creating a yellow illumination from below.  The intensity of the lights built into the pedestal increased and decreased in a regular pattern, creating a simulation of the _ki_ aura that surrounded martial artists in battle.  

Luffa dropped to the floor and stared up at it.  Her throat made a sound somewhere between laughter and sobbing.  Above, the likeness of Chanisp glared down at her with eyes of blazing green.  

Slowly, she rose to her feet and approached it.  Her mother had never mentioned anything like this.  Had she forgotten to mention it, or had she never known?  How did her people forget something like this?   To pass down the legend of their mightiest hero, without bothering to mention what made him a legend in the first place!  

Luffa looked down at her own hands, which trembled as they often did.  "I…. I can do it too,“ she said quietly.  She looked up at the sculpture and her expression hardened.  "I didn’t understand what it meant.  I was afraid of the power, and I guess I still am.”  

She scowled at the image of Chanisp and clenched her fists.  "But if you could handle it, then _so will I_!“ she shouted.  "I’ll make you proud!  When I’m done, they won’t even _remember_ Chanisp!”  

Luffa turned to leave.  Before she flew off, she gave one final salute to her ancestor.  "They’ll be too busy talking about _Luffa_.“

With renewed purpose, she rocketed off after Wampaaan'riix.  The statue of Chanisp continued to glow and flash, a silent warning that his legacy lived on.

**NEXT: Nightmare to You**


	16. Chapter 16

_**[5 January, 237 Before Age.  Planet Bigreen]** _

Wampaaan'riix’s plan had been to find his friends and escape from Bigreen before the Tyrant Demon, Lord Hamey, could stop them. So far, that plan had not gone well.

Hamey wasn’t really a demon, but a sorceror-warrior from the long-dead world of Hera.  Centuries ago, he had come to the planet of Bigreen to conquer it and rule its people like a minor deity.  Bigreen was liberated by a Saiyan hero named Chanisp.  Chanisp’s motives were lost to history, but most people assumed he was in search of a new challenge, after saving his own people from a very literal demon.

Chanisp prevailed that day, and he became a mythical hero in Bigreenese lore.  In time, he became known as the Legendary Space Warrior, and the people of Bigreen called all Saiyans “Space Warriors” in his honor.  Bigreen became a prosperous world, and its culture thrived ever since.  But Hamey had not truly been defeated.  He had foreseen Chanisp’s victory and took steps to prepare for it.  Using his divining rod which he unimaginatively called a “Magic Stick”, he sealed himself in an enchanted crypt, and bid his loyal followers to await certain portents before releasing him.  

The final portent was the arrival of Wampaaan'riix and his friends on Planet Bigreen.  Specifically, Keda was key to the resurrection of Hamey, since he had called for the blood of a shape-shifter to be spilled over his tomb.  With Chanisp long-dead and the Bigreen ill-prepared for war, Hamey could reconquer his kingdom with ease.  

But there had been a few hitches in his scheme.  Keda had survived the plot to sacrifice her over Hamey’s grave.  Her shape-shifting powers had allowed her to shuffle her vital organs, and so her wound was merely painful instead of lethal.  And Chanisp had left a legacy on Bigreen.  His descendant Chirad, a librarian of mostly Bigreenese blood, had been researching the Hamey cult for years.  Though a mealy-mouthed scholar, he still possessed a portion of the Saiyan martial spirit.  Then there was Luffa.

Luffa was a pure-blooded Saiyan mercenary, but a horrifying ordeal had traumatized her and impaired her judgement.  She had attained a mysterious and awe-inspiring power, but she was ashamed of the consequences of such might, and terrified to use it.  Determined to follow in Chanisp’s footsteps, she had defied Hamey and dealt him a few wounds, but she refused to fight him with her true strength, and he defeated her with ease.  

And so Wampaaan'riix concluded that the only sensible option was to cede the battle and fight another day.  He and Chirad were no match for Hamey, and Luffa was in no condition to fight.  The Bigreenese people were helpless before Hamey’s magic, which could use to bind their own soldiers to his will.  Wampaaan'riix sent Luffa to prepare their ship for launch, while he fetched Keda and Doctor Topsas.  

Unfortunately, Keda had turned out to be in the thick of the battle. She had managed to escape Hamey’s followers, but in spite of her wound she was determined to fight them.  Chirad had come to help her, to hold off the enemy while she fled to seek medical aid, but she stayed with him, stubbornly firing on the cultists with a ray pistol.  

Wampaaan'riix had found them this way, and he had tried to lend his own strength to their defense, but this had attracted Hamey’s attention, and so he came to deal with his strongest enemies in person.

“Then you are the one whose blood revived me!” he said as he looked at Keda.  "I am amazed to see you have survived, but the outcome is the same.  I might be willing to spare your life and give you a seat in my court if you would only forsake these fools and pledge your loyalty to me.“

"Here’s my answer,” Keda said, raising her pistol to fire at Hamey’s face.  Wampaaan'riix was shocked.  The Dorlun was only nine years old, and yet there was a hard edge to her voice he had only ever heard from battle-hardened soldiers.  The Dorlun ethic was to survive at any cost.  Logically, Keda should have accepted Hamey’s offer, if only to live long enough to find an alternative.  

She fired, and Hamey swatted the blue energy beam aside with a careless wave of his hand. Wampaaan'riix had seen him turn green before, when he used his full power.  Now his skin was aquamarine, indicating that the alien sorceror felt he was in no danger whatsoever.  

“Let ‘em go, Hamey,” Chirad said.  "I’m the one you want your magic will never work on me because I have the blood of the Space Warrior Chanisp in me you know I’ll never stop fighting until I defeat you but these others are no threat to you so let them leave and face me man to man come on!“

"Be silent!” Hamey growled.  His voice was handsome, even heroic at times, but the cruelty of his words revealed his true character.  "I must destroy all three of you, as well as that Space Warrior who tried to fight me earlier.  You may be no threat to me now, but I see that you are too dangerous to remain under my rule nor can I allow you to leave Planet Bigreen to plot against me.

“I know about Chanisp, Hamey,” Keda said.  "I know how he defeated you.  You might kill us all, but what he represented will live on.  You’ll never be safe from him. Your hocus-pocus can only delay the inevitable.“

Hamey looked worried for a moment, but only a moment.  "You are foolish child and would say anything to escape my royal justice,” he said, regaining his arrogant demeanor.  "Chanisp is dead, and not even he could truly win against me I shall reign forever this time, ha ha, but that is no concern to you for I shall kill you all right here and now!“

Before he could make good his threat, one of the mesmerized Bigreenese soldiers came rushing into the library.  "Sire!” he cried breathlessly.  "You must come quickly it is the Space Warrior she has returned!“

"What?” Hamey snapped.  

“I warned you, Hamey,” Keda said grimly.  "Kill me now if you like, but it’ll only make things worse for you.“

Hamey raised his divining rod and it crackled with purple lightning, but then he powered it down and turned away from Keda.  "Useless,” he said.  "You three are no threat to me so I shall crush this impudent Space Warrior once and for all and when you see her die you will know that Hamey is the supreme power!“

"Oh boy, Ruhffer’s going to teach that big jerk a lesson,” Chirad cheered, “This is great hooray!  I can’t wait.”

“This is bad,” Wampaaan'riix said.  "She’s in no shape to fight.  She must be creating a diversion so we can escape.“

"No,” Keda insisted.  "It’ll be all right.  You’ll see.“

*******

* * *

Hamey’s acolytes and guards all seemed to realize the greater threat was outside, and so they abandoned their prisoners to see what was going on.  Keda led Wampaaan'riix and Chirad out the main entrance, and they found Hamey and Luffa facing off in the middle of the street.  

"It seems you still haven’t learned your place, Space Warrior,” Hamey said.  He squared his shoulders and transformed, his blue skin becoming yellow-green, his orange mane darkening to bloody red.  

“As a matter of fact I have,” Luffa said.  She pushed her sunglasses up the bridge of her nose as she approached him.  "Turns out my 'place’ is right here, _kicking your ass_.   Sorry to keep you waiting.“

"Enough!  I will use my full power to destroy you in an instant the power of the tyrant god of Bigreen!  YAAAAAAAHHHHH!”

Hamey raised his staff above his head and his _ki_ skyrocketed.  Luffa stood and watched him with an interested smirk.  Around them, Hamey’s followers backed away in terror.  

“Not bad,” Luffa said.  "Wampaaan'riix was right.  I was a fool to think I could beat you as I am right now.  So let’s change that.“

She took a stance not unlike the pose of Chanisp’s sculpture in the Bigreenese monument and yelled.  It wasn’t a cry of fear, or of desperation, or of mindless rage.  This was a cry of purpose.  

After a moment, her body lit up like a lump of moleten iron.  When the light faded, her hair was a gleaming yellow, and her eyes were a furious shade of green.  Hamey recoiled in fright.  

"What is this?!” he screamed.  "What have you done!?“

Luffa grinned and licked her lips.  Her golden aura crashed all around her like the pounding surf.  "Hamey, Hamey, Hamey,” she cooed.  "What’s the matter?  Do I remind you of someone you used to know?“

She started walking towards him, slowly, confidently.  After a few steps, she held out her hands and swaggered a little.  

"This is impossible no it must be a trick!” Hamey protested.  "Only Chanisp had this kind of power, it’s impossible for you to take the form of the Legendary Space _Super_ Warrior!“

"Awwwwwww,” Luffa said in mock sympathy.  "Is this too confusing for the almighty tyrant god?  Am I breaking one of your holy edicts or something?  I guess you’d better stop me then.  She was only inches away from him now.  She glanced down at his left hand, the one she had bitten in their last encounter and clicked her tongue.  "Maybe I should wait until you get that looked at,“ she said.  "I wouldn’t want you making excuses.”

“You insolent monkey!” Hamey screeched.  He raised the same hand to strike her face.  Luffa made no move to avoid it.  Instead, she caught his forearm as he made contact and brought up her legs to wrap them around his left arm.  The sudden shift of weight made Hamey topple forward, and Luffa flipped him over and onto the ground.  She quickly readjusted, positioning his shoulder between her thighs and grabbing his wrist in both hands.  With a sadistic growl, she forced Hamey’s hand to bend backward, hyperextending his wrist and shoulder.  

“I’m sorry,” Luffa said as she twisted his wrist.  "What did you just call me?“

Hamey’s only reply was a tortured scream.  

*******

* * *

"Finally!” Keda said.  

“You mean you _expected_ this to happen all along?” Wampaaan'riix said.  He had to raise his voice to be heard over Hamey’s screams and Luffa’s laughter.  Around them, Hamey’s followers stood in confused silence.  

“Well, I didn’t _know_ ,” Keda said.  "It was mostly intuition, but I was really _sure_.  She told this whole story about Chanisp becoming the strongest Saiyan of his era, and meanwhile _she’s_ the strongest Saiyan of _her_ era.  It just makes sense that they got there the same way.  The Saiyans just forgot about how Chanisp _looked_ when he was actually _using_ the power.  That’s because they don’t care about anything but strength.“

Luffa continued to do terrible things to the ligaments in Hamey’s arm, and Chirad started hooting and cheering for her.  

"But to people like me, _every_ Saiyan is incredibly strong,” Keda explained.  "Chanisp being really, really strong might have been enough to impress his _own_ people, but other cultures would need more than that.  He would have had to be something _special_.  If he beat Hamey looking like a normal Saiyan, Chanisp would have been a hero on Bigreen, but not much more.  He might have gotten his face on the currency, or maybe he’d be an answer to a trivia question.  But if he lit up like a bonfire while he beat Hamey, then he would have become a _legend._ “

Hamey struggled to counterattack with his free arm, but Luffa simply fired a _ki_ blast from her mouth, hitting him in the face.  

"The problem was that it wasn’t enough to understand that myself,” Keda said.  "I had to wait for _Luffa_ to get it through her thick skull.  Until then, I knew I just had to stay alive and stick with you or Chirad until she worked it out for herself.“  She rubbed the wound on her chest where the cultist had stabbed her.  "Luffa’s awesome, but I wish she was a little less stubborn.”

“Her _ki_ is incredible,” Wampaaan'riix said. “She’s even stronger now than she was on the Tikosi planet,”

“She’s not ashamed of it anymore,” Keda said.  "Maybe she’s still unsure of how to use it, but she knows this new form is a part of her.  She’s finally embraced her adaptation.“

*******

Luffa finally released Hamey’s arm and allowed him to scramble to his feet.  It hung uselessly at his side as he held up the divining rod in his right hand in a defensive posture.  

"So tell me,” Luffa said.  "Did Chanisp beat you this easily?  I’m just curious how my power compares to his.  You’re the only one who could tell me.“

"I’m far from beaten, you… you…” Hamey didn’t bother trying to finish his sentence, and instead fired a blast of white light from his Magic Stick.  Luffa braced herself and crossed her arms in front of her face.  

Hamey maintained his fire.  The veins on his arm bulged and throbbed, and the Magic Stick started to glow red.  His face was twisted with pain and rage, but he had Luffa where he wanted her, and he was sure he could destroy her if he could just burn through her defenses.  He could *feel* his arcane power pressuring her, forcing her back, pushing her away.  

And then she started to push against him.  Hamey was shocked, but not long enough to let it break his concentration.  He renewed his assault, increasing the power of his blast as much as he possibly could, hoping to overwhelm the Saiyan.

But it wasn’t enough.  He could slow her progress, but not stop it, let alone reverse it.  Slowly, inexorably, she moved through the punishing force of Hamey’s beam, closer and closer.  But he didn’t become truly worried until she started to speak.  

“Did you… see _this_ coming… Hamey?” she called from within the punishing tide of white energy.  "Did your magic spells…. warn you about _me_?   Did they… _nnnggghhh._.. show you how to hide from _me_ like you hid from Chanisp?“

In spite of the pain, he raised his left hand and gripped his divining rod to steady it.  He was putting so much power into the attack as it was.  It was a grave risk to increase its potency any further, but he was sure she was nearly beaten.  Just a little more.  Just a little more…

"You’re…. going to…. wish you’d _stayed_ in that… crypt of yours… _Hamey_!” Luffa screamed.  Her voice was rough and raw.  In spite of her taunts there was no longer any flippancy to her words.  She wanted him dead, and there was no one on this planet who could help him.  

And then she was close enough to grab the Magic Stick itself.  Her grip combined with his own threw the mystic rod’s power into chaos.  It still fired its destructive white energy at Luffa, but now it also fired upon Hamey as well.  They winced in pain as they struggled for control of the stick.  In spite of the situation, Hamey felt he had an advantage now.  The Saiyan might have been strong enough to overpower him, but she lacked the training to control the stick itself.  

But then Luffa made a frustrated, ugly grunt and grabbed the stick with her other hand as well.  Hamey could see how much pain she was in, but she refused to let go.  Instead, she tensed her arms and screamed.  Slowly, incredibly, the Magic Stick began to bend. Luffa didn’t stop until both ends of the rod pointed in the same direction.

With the rod now distorted this way, its arcane powers were completely disrupted.  The crackling energy that surrounded it faded away, and its red-hot color vanished.  Hamey stared at the useless piece of metal in his hands.  Then he looked at Luffa, and swallowed hard.  

Her skin was blistered and burned in places. Her glasses were gone, either knocked off her head or simply melted apart. Parts of her yellow jumpsuit had burned away, and she still bore bloody scrapes and contusions from their previous skirmishes.  She was breathing hard, and eldritch smoke billowed from her hands from what she had just done.  But what horrified Hamey was that her expression was just as defiant and pugnacious as it had ever been.  

“If that was your best shot,” Luffa said between gasps, “then you’re in _deep trouble_.”

Hamey backed away in terror.  Not even Chanisp had been this troublesome, but then, he had never truly tested the limits of Chanisp’s might, had he?  No, he had put up a perfunctory fight against that Saiyan, just enough to make it convincing, then he faked his death.  Even if he were prepared to try it again, this woman would never fall for it.  Besides, the spell was impossible without his divining rod and his… followers?

He glanced around and saw the Bigreenese people watching their battle.  Only moments ago, he had mesmerized them all to serve his will.  Now the spell was broken, and they were coming to their senses.  Most of the cultists who had served him of their own volition had been killed fighting Luffa’s allies, and those who remained were less than grateful for the enchantments he had placed upon them after his revival.  

It was over then.  He still had strength enough to fight, but without the Magic Stick to enhance those powers, he doubted he could prevail.  And even if he won, he would never be able to reconquer the planet without his most powerful mystic relic.  At best he could only look forward to decades of civil wars against resistance movements.  And that was only if he got past the woman.  

“How?!” he whined.  "How did my divinations fail to see this?   I foresaw that a Space Super Warrior would come to destroy me but if I sought refuge among the dead I would be safe, safe to plot my restoration in a new age how can this be happening it makes no sense!“

"Your prophecy came true, Hamey,” shouted Keda, the young girl his followers had sacrificed to resurrect him.  "But you were blinded by your own ego!  You thought you could cheat fate by waiting for Chanisp to die of old age!  But he wasn’t the Saiyan you should have worried about!  It was Luffa all along!“

The child’s logic was like a knife into his heart.  Fitting, since that was the literal fate he had intended for her.  Hamey looked at Luffa as though truly seeing her for the first time.  "No!  You can’t be…” he moaned.  "Don’t tell me that _you_ are the Legendary Super Warrior.“

"If the shoe fits,” Luffa shrugged.  "All I know is that I’m going to put you down, Hamey.  If that makes me a… ’ _Super Saiyan_ ’, then so be it.“  

She walked towards him, and her smile turned to an ominous frown.  "Like I was saying, you should have stayed in that box you were hiding in.  But don’t worry.   _You’ll be going back there soon enough_.”

Hamey shivered with fear, but he forced himself to stand his ground.  There was no use in flight; where would he go?  Besides, the woman had to be exhausted from the punishment she had taken.  If he could just defeat her, then he could find someplace to hide, to lick his wounds, to plan his next move.

He leaped forward and tackled Luffa as hard as he could.  They rolled onto the pavement for a moment, but before Luffa could retaliate, he leaped clear of her and fired a ki blast at her knee.  He circled around to fire again, hoping to keep her off balance.  Perhaps he could wear her down…

But then she flickered out of sight and reappeared behind him.  Before Hamey could even turn around, Luffa struck him with a double-axehandle, sending him plummeting to the road below.  The impact left a small crater.  As he stumbled to his feet, Luffa appeared before him again, and gave him a front kick to the groin.  

“That’s for Chirad, by the way,” she said over his agonized moans.

Hamey forced himself upright and struggled to ignore the pain.  "E-enough!“ he growled.  He threw up his hands and waved them in a strange pattern, like an interpretive dance.  Before Luffa could wonder what he was up to, a thick cloud of noxious smoke appeared all around him.  Involuntarily, she stepped back and coughed from the fumes.  When it cleared, Hamey was gone.  

Luffa looked around for a moment, but by the time she found him up in the sky, it was too late.  Hamey was ready for her now.  

In his hand was a massive ball of swirling orange energy.

"Ha ha ha!  You have underestimated my power and it’s your death warrant!” Hamey gloated.  "This planet is doomed, and so are you!“

It was a dangerous ploy, but he could see no other option.  This damnable woman was determined to destroy him and confound his plans, and she was too powerful to overcome.  But if he threatened to destroy Bigreen, if he launched a _ki_ blast downward to the surface, she would have no choice but to stand her ground and deflect it.  If she failed, then the blast would kill them both, along with everyone elese on the planet, but if she succeeded, then she would have to stand still long enough for him to strike a decisive blow.  

Luffa widened her stance and held up her hands in anticipation of his attack.  Hamey smiled in spite of his injuries.  The stupid monkey was playing right into his hands.  He launched his attack straight down at her.   The ball descended slowly, inexorably towards the surface, until it stopped just short of its destination.

"Ha ha ha!  Don’t even try it,” Hamey taunted.  "You can never stop this giant fireball!  Goodbye superhero have a nice trip!  To Hell!“

Everyone below was focused on Luffa’s struggle on the ground.  This was his chance.  Hamey reached into a pocket on his boot and withdrew a small silver knife.  It was a cursed blade, treated with the poisonous blood of a Heran creature that had once terrified even his mighty race.  A single cut would doom even the strongest warrior to a prolonged and agonizing death.  During his reign, Hamey’s power alone was enough to terrify the people of Bigreen, but the knife was a secret horror reserved for his highest subordinates.  Its cruel power was the ultimate penalty for failure or disobedience.  

With all the speed he could muster, he dove below and behind Luffa, ready to stab her in the back.  He could barely see her against the harsh orange light of his fireball, but he could make out a shadow… and when he was close enough to strike…

He felt a powerful hand crushing his wrist.  

Hamey screamed, and when his eyes had adjusted to the light, he saw Luffa was indeed holding back his planet-destroying fireball.  With one hand.  

Her remaining hand was now fracturing his radial bone.  

"What kind of idiot do you take me for?” Luffa said, more disappointed than angry.  "I sensed your approach a mile away.“  

Hamey struggled to reach for the knife with his bad left arm.  After she had bitten it, he doubted he could get a decent grip on the handle, but he didn’t need one.  All he had to do was make the slightest cut on her smug, brutish face… But his shoulder and elbow were hurt and it was everything he could do just to raise his arm high enough–

Then Luffa savagely bent her own wrist, twisting Hamey’s right forearm to intensify the pain she was causing him.  

The tip of the knife grazed his left palm, leaving a thin cut in his flesh.  

Hamey made a blood-curdling howl even before the poison took effect.  The mere implication of the tiny cut hurt him more than the Saiyan breaking his bones.  Luffa flung him down to the ground and turned her attention back to the sphere of energy.  

Hamey landed on his back, the knife tumbling just inches away.  Now the poison began to take hold in his blood, and Hamey came to realize that his worst fears had not even begun to compare to the reality of the pain.  He hurt too much to scream.  All he could do was sob quietly as he watched Luffa force his fireball up and away from the planet.  With a final shove, she sent it hurtling into space, and she began to slowly return to the ground.  

Hamey struggled to roll over.  He was doomed now.  His only hope was to get the knife and use it to take his own life.  The Super Saiyan was eager enough to do that job for him, but he couldn’t wait that long.  He had to end the pain now.   _Now!_  But every movement was pure hell.  His right arm was swollen and useless from the fractures he had sustained.  His left arm was weak and unsteady.  His whole body felt like it was burning from the inside out.  

Just when he managed to touch his fingertips to the knife’s handle, a beam of crimson light shot down from the sky and destroyed it.  Three of Hamey’s fingers were singed, but in his present condition he could scarcely tell the difference.  All that mattered to him now was that his one hope of release was forever lost to him.  

"You’re tenacious, I’ll give you that,” Luffa said as her feet touched the ground.  "But you’re fooling yourself if you think you can kill me with an ordinary knife.  You’re beaten, Hamey.  Give up!“

"No!” Hamey rasped.  "You’ll have to kill me!“  He didn’t dare tell her about the knife, how he was dead already, and that it was only a matter of ending his suffering.  His only hope was to goad her into it.  

She regarded him for a moment, then shook her head.  "No.  I’m a fighter, not a killing machine.  You’re not a challenge to me anymore.  I’ll let the Bigreen authorities decide what to do with you.”

Hamey was stunned.  She walked past him towards her friends, and he struggled to turn his head to watch her.  "You… you coward!   You filthy monkey!“  

Luffa stopped and glared at him, her eyes narrow with rage.  The golden aura that flashed around her intensified, but then subsided just as quickly.  

"Don’t get me wrong, Hamey,” she grumbled.  "I’d like to finish you off.  I _really_ would, especially in this form.  But my strongest opponent is _myself_ , and I won’t give up that battle just so I can toy around with you.  Have a nice life.“

Hamey wanted to taunt her again, but he simply couldn’t think of anything else to say.  It hurt too much to speak, to think, to do anything.  The Bigreenese security forces approached his body and lifted him up on a stretcher.  

He closed his eyes and wondered how long the local hospital would try to keep him alive…

**NEXT: The Chosen One**


	17. Chapter 17

**[14 January, 237 Before Age.  Planet Gwarthos]**

The meadow would have been idyllic under different circumstances.  Pink flowers bloomed amid the tall grass, and a babbling brook echoed in the distance.  But the skies were dark, and ominous clouds threatened a thunderstorm.  A solitary figure stood alone against a horde of riders in black cloaks.  They laughed and jeered as they approached, and when they were close enough, their leader dismounted and walked confidently towards their lone enemy.  

“At long last the hour has come,” he announced in a cold, clear voice, loud enough for his followers to hear.  "The doom of the mundanes draws nigh, and none of old Wulframeye’s schemes could prevent my triumph.  All that remains to bar my path is you, Harcourt Fenton.“

He drew a black scepter from his robe and waved it for effect.  "Yes, we both know what the drunken oracle decreed that day so long ago.  'For no man can defeat the supremacy of Master Hitchplick, no man but the one born in the dawn of winter, the one born to the House of Reeds, the Chosen One, the boy-savior will lead the way.’  Yes, we were fated to meet, Harcourt Fenton, but this, I think, shall be the final time.  Your mentor Wulframeye cannot save you this time, nor the oafish Dickload, or even Longamshire, your faithful protector.  No, you stand alone, clinging to the useless hope of destroying that which can never die.”

He paused for effect, and basked in the adulation of his dark disciples.  His black horse, Viper, snorted and stamped his feet, urging him to complete the task and eliminate the one fleeting threat to his absolute mastery over Planet Gwarthos.  He smiled at his steed and mentally asked it to indulge him a moment longer.  

“Even now, you stand against me, Harcourt Fenton.  What possible hope can you have?  You face five hundred of my followers.  A platoon of Gigantors behind them, and a company of were-vampires behind them.  My soul is proofed against death, and my power is beyond comprehension.  Against this you have what? Your dead father’s love?  Pfah!  Love did not save Snidely Sbrenica, and it certainly did not save your father.  You lack even the mystic means to defend yourself.  Your scepter lies broken in the Cave of Mysteries.  All you have is your Vanisher’s Cloak, and I see that even this has failed you now, just as the soothsayers foretold.”

He tugged at the dark grey hood of his enemy’s cloak, which obscured the boy’s face.  When he got no reaction, he clicked his tongue in mock-pity and laughed.  

“I see you are too frightened to resist me, Harcourt Fenton,” Master Hitchplick said.  "The Miracle Boy, cowed into submission at last.  Very well, I shall end your suffering quickly.  But first, let all bear witness that your life has truly come to an end.“

He pulled the hood back to reveal the boy’s face, and then he realized that it was not a boy at all.  The hair was tousled and about the same length, but instead of his nemesis’s hated features, he saw the hard glare of a young woman.  Her furious eyes met his and they widened.  Her mouth curled into a predatory smile.  

"Wh-what?” Hitchplick gasped.  "You’re not–!“

Her only response was a horrific wail.  A yellow light exploded from her body, washing over the army of dark riders.  When it subsided, they found her glowing like a torch, her once coal-black hair now gleaming gold and floating ethereally over her scalp.  

"Yeah about that,” she said casually.  "The way I heard it, the guy you were expecting drowned in a frozen lake four months ago.  Don’t ask me how he ended up in there.  I was dealing with my own problems at the time.“

She pulled off her cloak and revealed a yellow and black compression shirt with black broadshorts.  A long furry tail, also glowing yellow, wagged lazily behind her.   She held up her hands and started cracking her knuckles inside the fingerless gloves she wore.  

"Long story short, they hired me to finish whatever he was supposed to do. Now I know you chumps were all looking forward to ganging up on an unarmed teenage boy.  But look on the bright side!” she said.  "I’ll make a _much_ more interesting opponent for you.  My name is Luffa, and I’m a _Super Saiyan_.  You see–“

” _Enough of this!_ “ Hitchplick cried, desperate to regain control of the situation.  "I know not who you are, woman, but none shall defy Master Hitchplick and live.”  He leveled his scepter towards her and began to chant.   _“Exterminatus_ –”

There was more to his spell, and the end of the scepter had glowed green in anticipation for the rest of it, but Luffa had leaped across the distance between them and tackled him before he could continue.  In a single fluid motion she yanked the sceptre out of his hand and crouched down to bite at his throat.  Hitchplick made an awful scream, made all the more awful when it suddenly stopped.  

Luffa rose to her feet and lolled her head to one side.  Hitchplick’s blood now stained her lower face, and crimson rivulets ran from her lips and chin.  His body continued to writhe on the ground.

“Now, _as I was saying_ ,” Luffa went on, pausing to spit a mouthful of Hitchplick’s own blood onto his face.  "The way I hear it, you dirtbags think you’re something special because you’re rich, or descended from somebody important, or your little sticks do cooler stuff than the other guys on this planet.  You think that makes you big stuff, and that’s why you want to go to war, but are any of you ready for a real fight?  See, I think you threw in with this guy because he can’t die, but when I’m through today, he’ll _wish he could_.  He’ll _beg_ me to kill him.“

Hitchplick gurgled pathetically and struggled to get to his feet.  Luffa laughed and pointed at him.  

"How about that?  I thought that old fart back at the castle was putting me on, but the bastard really is immortal!  Probably won’t enjoy it much after today.  But the rest of you won’t have to worry about that,” she said darkly, “because _I’m going to slaughter every last one of you_.”

The riders were too stunned to defend themselves.  With their master so badly wounded, none of them were sure how to react.  Then Luffa made a loathsome howl and charged headlong into their ranks, and they all knew that the decision was no longer theirs to make.

*******

* * *

From a castle hundreds of miles away from the battlefield, a group of spectators watched the unfolding massacre as it appeared in a crystal ball.  

“There, you see that?” one of them cried as he pointed at the glass sphere.  "That was Rebus Xaylex!  He killed a dozen of the Auric Patrol all by himself.  That she-devil just shrugged off his Agony Spell like it was a splash of cold water!“

"Whatever doesn’t kill a Saiyan only makes them stronger,” said a blue-skinned girl with bright red hair.  She paid little attention to the images in the crystal, preferring instead to fuss with a handheld calculator and a notepad.  "And Luffa is a _Super_ Saiyan, the strongest one alive.  She’s been through worse than what those guys can dish out, I can promise you that.“

"Indeed, Flubbers,” said a wizened old man with a long white beard.  His fuzzy pink bathrobe and matching bunny slippers undermined his air of authority, but everyone seemed to listen to him regardless.  "It appears that young Keda’s friend will make short work of the Dark Lord and his riders.  A pity Harcourt Fenton did not live to see this day.  Perhaps it was a poor choice to hide the Victory Blade in such a dangerous place… ah well.“

"Sir,” asked an old woman in a pointed hat.  "Why didn’t we just hire an alien mercenary in the first place?  Fenton might still be alive if we had just done this from the start and avoided all of your ridiculous plans.“

"That, my dear Athena, is an excellent question,” the old man said, stroking his beard thoughtfully.  "Perhaps we ought to discuss it at the next faculty meeting.“

Keda shook her head and returned to her ledger.  Only a week ago she and Luffa had been on the Planet Bigreen, where they had faced an ancient sorcerer bent on conquest.  Luffa had beaten him easily, but not without injury, and she had been convalescing in a local hospital when she was contacted by a mysterious man with business proposition.  He had fled Gwarthos to seek refuge on Bigreen, but when he’d heard about the Legendary Super Saiyan’s battle triumph over Lord Hamey, he decided that she might be able to repeat that triumph on his homeworld.  

Luffa had been eager to accept the challenge, a little too eager as far as her physician, Dr. Topsas, was concerned.  Though her body was in excellent health and her wounds nearly healed, he was more worried about her psychological condition. Luffa had become this "Super Saiyan” by suffering profound betrayal and torment at the hands of her own father and a cadre of alien scientists with no regard for ethics or compassion.  She had come to embrace her transformation, but the trauma that brought it about could not be so easily dismissed.  But Topsas had neither the authority nor the strength to hold Luffa against her will.  She had invited her friend and ally Wampaaan'riix to come along, but he declined the honor, opting instead to return to his family on Yetitan.  

But Keda had joined Luffa, mostly for lack of anything better to do.  Luffa’s last assignment as a mercenary had been to defend a Dorlun settlement on a remote planet.   It hadn’t ended well, and as far as Keda knew she was the only Dorlun to survive the sack of the colony.  The Dorlun ethic was to survive at all costs, and Keda had done well on her own.  She was clever and resourceful for a nine-year-old, even by Dorlun standards, and she had been granted special access to shape-shifting powers she wasn’t supposed to have received until she was older.  The ability had saved her life more than once, and a friendship with the strongest warrior in the universe could only make her safer.

Having secured her own person, Keda’s next priority was to think of her people.  It was necessary to establish contact with other Dorluns if at all possible.  Her culture allowed for hermitages and anchorites, because there were times when such solitude was vital to one’s survival.  But now that she was safe, she had a moral obligation to share that safety with others if she could.  And if other Dorluns could make her even safer than she already felt, then it was her duty to accept their aid in turn.  

And so she had sent out a standard hail every morning from the communications array on Luffa’s star-yacht.   It was a simple Dorlun message.  Other life forms would dismiss it as noise or a mere homing beacon, but it was in fact a coded signal that meant: “I survive.  Reply if you are able.”  So far, no one had responded.  

That left her to her third priority, which was supporting Luffa’s mercenary career.  It was actually rather fascinating work.  For all of Luffa’s prowess on the battlefield, she depended a great deal on financial bookkeeping and other logistical support.  To her credit, she had a basic grasp of these matters, but she preferred to let someone else deal with it while she focused on the fighting, and Keda needed something to do anyway.  

She was nearly finished calculating a budget projection for the rest of the year when one of the alchemists in the castle began to convulse in his robes.  

“Professor Wonkensteen!” cried Professor Athena O'Slammahamm.  Before Keda could turn around to see what was wrong, Wonkensteen had collapsed, and his body swelled to twice his original size.  Brown fur sprouted over his body, and Keda briefly wondered if he had shape-shifting powers like her own.  

At last, he rose up to his feet, and slashed the robes from his body with the long black claws that now protruded from his bestial paws.  "Bah!  Not _Wonkensteen_ , woman!“ he snarled.  "You lot were _fools_ to think you could defend yourselves from _me_!  There is no defense against _Dark Art_ , Wulframeye!  Dark Art, the beast who will _bathe in your blood!”_

The old wizard was nonplussed.  "Hello, Arthur,“ he said cordially.  "I suppose you penetrated our mystic shields by infesting Wylo’s body during his daily commute.  You will find that you have no further power in this place, however.”

“Feh!  You’re a dead man, Wulframeye!  Dead!  Dark Art bellowed.  "The Dark Lord falls that brainless savage you hired, but she cannot protect you in your own lair!  Snidely Sbrenica died at my hands as well!  My triumph is assured! Surely you knew that I would come to destroy you!  But what pathetic tricks can you possibly muster against me?!”

As if to answer the question, an eerie phantom floated into the room.  Its top half resembled a humanoid, but its lower portion was an indistinct trail.  Its hands looked like mittens made of steam, but its face was a dead ringer for Luffa.  

“What in seven hells is _that_?!” Dark Art growled.

“BooooOOOOOooooooOOOOOOO!   I’m a ghost!  How scary!” the ghost wailed.  It grinned mischievously at Art, and floated just out of range of his massive forelimbs.  

“What sort of _puerile stunt_ is this, Wulframeye?!” Dark Art roared.  "I know full well how your fortress is haunted by the spirits of fallen cowards!  Do you honestly expect me to be distracted by one of these poltergeists simply because it wears the face of your hired thug?“

Wulframeye shrugged nonchalantly.  The ghost continued to float around, filling the air with mocking laughter.  

"Well here’s what I think of your wretched spirits, old man!”  he slashed at the ghost with one of his powerful paws, and for a split second, the ghost seemed hurt when he made contact.  Then it smiled deviously.  Before Art could realize his mistake, the ghost exploded.  

When the smoke cleared, the monstrous beast lay dead on the floor.  Most of the alchemists in the room had been knocked off their feet.  Keda had taken cover under the desk she had been working at. 

Wulframeye picked up the crystal ball, which had rolled to one corner of the room, and placed it back on its pedestal.  "And now that dreadful business is resolved,“ he said pleasantly, "let us return to that flighty temptress, incredible violence.”

“Again, sir,” Professor O'Slammahamm asked, “why the hell didn’t we do it this way a long time ago?!”

Keda crawled out from her hiding place and resumed her work.  

*******

* * *

Luffa sidestepped a laser beam and turned just in time to see it strike another enemy.  "You know, I think I’m getting the hang of this,“ she said aloud to herself.  

"See, fighting’s a lot like… well ballet, I guess.  Have any of you guys seen ballet?”  An ugly man in a bowler hat charged towards her with his scepter raised, and she caved his skull in with a headbutt.  "I haven’t either, really.  I just heard about it once.“  

She twirled around, firing crimson energy blasts from her fingertips as she raised and lowered her arms.  Dozens of dark riders fell before her like wheat before a scythe.  A rider approached her on his mount, and she simply punched the horse in the jaw, knocking him over and trapping the rider under its bulk.

"What I’m trying to say is that I always thought dancing was sort of like fighting without the fight part.  Like if you’re up against a really weak opponent, so you can toy with ‘em instead of worrying about any strategic objectives.”  She spotted a red energy beam heading toward her and deflected it with the palm of her hand.  “Don’t take that the wrong way.  I’m not saying you guys are weak.  Far from it.  It’s just that I’ve gotten so strong that I have to find ways to stay focused, you know?  Like right now, I’m trying to tweak my style while I fight you all.  Make it… I don’t know… prettier?  Is that the right word?”

She grabbed a rider’s head and twisted it in a full circle, then flung his corpse at one of his comrades.  Before he even hit the ground she spun around and generated a ball of _ki_ energy above two fingers of her left hand, and swung it into a third rider before he could block it.  “The funny thing is, I’m a lot more sensitive to that kind of thing.  When I’m in Super mode, I can actually _feel_ how sloppy my technique is.  I’m like a turtle that can run faster than a jackrabbit, but I still do the same crawling motion a turtle uses.  Waste of energy.  Not that any of _you_ would notice, but _I_ can tell, and it actually kind of bugs me.”  

She moved faster than their eyes could possibly follow, and planted her hands on the chest of one of the Gigantors.  Before it could react, she unleashed a maelstrom of destructive _ki_ energy directly into its flesh, destroying it in an instant.   “My doctor actually thinks I _let_ my opponents hurt me, like I’ve got some kind of deathwish.  He doesn’t understand sandbagging.  Before I left he told me… _Hey!_  Get away from that horse!  I’m gonna eat him later!”  She swung her arm, and a series of explosions went off in an arc of ground twenty feet away, knocking riders off their feet.  

“There’s a tactical advantage to getting your opponent’s measure,” she continued.  "Yeah I have to take a beating sometimes to get it, but I’m so strong now that I can afford to take the risk.   But I’m not _stupid_.  Those red lasers you guys shoot, they’re painful, but they don’t actually damage me.  The green lasers can kill people, but I can block them with my energy, so they’re useless on me.  But I have no idea what the yellow lasers do.  So I’m not gonna walk into a couple just to find out.  Hell, there’s an easier way to satisfy my curiosity.“

She did a backflip, vaulting herself across the battlefield and landing just inches away from the mangled form of Master Hitchplick.  Despite his wounds, he had managed to restore himself just enough to stand upright, and so Luffa had maimed him again to put him back down.  She was fairly certain that she had fractured every one of his veterbrae by now, but somehow he was still able to move, however weakly.  She grabbed him by his broken neck and launched herself into the air, high above her enemies.  

"Pop quiz, ‘Master’,” she said, laying her free hand over his pallid forehead.  "I wanted to know what other tricks your cronies had lined up, just in case one of them gets in a lucky shot.   _Show me_ …“

Hitchplick had defenses against a telepathic intrusion, but they only worked properly when he was healthy.  Against a Super Saiyan they didn’t work at all.  Luffa found the answers she sought almost instantly.  The yellow lasers were magic spells designed to entrance the victim’s mind, but they operated on a principle similar to the green death lasers, and so they would probably bounce right off–

But there was more, and she saw it all so quickly that there was no time to withdraw, no chance to look away.  Setchil Kiramp Imatch killed his first victim at the age of twelve.  He defiled his first corpse at the age of thirteen.  By seventeen he had a body count in the thousands, all younger children who couldn’t fight back.   The codename he used among his disciples was a ridiculous anagram of his actual name.  His favorite pastime was to cut prisoners in half and force the top half to fight the lower half through some sort of twisted dark magic.  When he murdered Harcourt Fenton’s mother, she was pregnant with his younger brother, who would have been named Doliares if he had been a girl.  But Setchil Kiramp Imatch knew it was a boy because when he killed the woman he decided to have some fun and so he used his magic scepter to–

*******

* * *

"Oh dear,” Wulframeye said with a click of his tongue.  "Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.“

"What is it?” Keda asked, running to look at the crystal ball.  "Is she in trouble–?  Hey!“

The magic orb glowed bright yellow, as though it had been filled with burning phosphorus for a split second.  When it dimmed enough to show an image, Keda saw Luffa hovering in midair holding Hitchplick’s mangled body by the neck.  Her other hand was on his forehead.  

"No,” Keda gasped.  "Oh, _Luffa_ , why did you–?“

She crushed Hitchplick’s head like a ripe melon, and threw the rest of him down to the crowd of his followers below.  A few of them had prepared their mounts for aerial combat, but before any of them could get off the ground, she pointed her outstretched hands down toward them and fired indiscriminately into their ranks.  

"What happened?” Professor O'Slammahamm asked.  

“She read the bad guy’s mind,” Keda said.  

“I was not aware she had that particular ability,” Flubbers said.  

“Saiyans have limited telepathic powers,” Keda explained.  

“I doubt that limited mentalism would fare well against He-Who-Shan’t-Be-Identified–” O'Slammahamm began to say.

“And that’s why we’re putting the word 'super’ on all our business cards,” Keda continued.  "Super Saiyan, super-telepathy, super _issues_.“

There was no sound from the crystal ball, but Keda was fairly certain just by looking that Luffa had been screaming the entire time.  The ground below her was covered in golden explosions and the dust and smoke they kicked up.  There was no sign of Hitchplick’s forces inside.  

"If she could destroy them all so easily why did she not do this from the beginning?” O'Slammahamm asked.

“Because it might destroy the entire continent,” Keda said grimly.  "I have to get out there.“

"I am under the impression that this is, if you will pardon the expression, 'hella stupid’ to attempt, Ms. Keda,” Wulframeye said.  

“Normally I’d agree, but I can’t just leave her like this,” Keda said.  

“Then am I to understand that she presently holds the keys to your spaceship?” Wulframeye surmised.  

Keda sighed and nodded.

*******

* * *

Wulframeye’s horse had eight legs.  This was supposed to make him faster, but Keda wasn’t terribly impressed.  Fortunately, by the time they reached the battlefield, the danger had passed.  The meadow had been blasted away, leaving only the bedrock and a thin layer of grey dust.  Luffa was there in the middle of the devastated land.  She sat in a lotus position, floating just above the scoured ground.  

“Are you okay?” Keda asked when they were close enough to be heard.  

Luffa flickered out of sight, then reappeared beside them.  She had powered down to her normal form, but there was a haunted look in her eyes that belied the friendly smile on her face.  

“I guess I overdid it a little,” she said.  

“What happened?” Keda asked.  "What did you see in his mind?“

"Nothing,” Luffa said curtly.  "I just needed some intel.“  She turned to address Wulframeye.  "He’s still alive, you know.”

Wulframeye nodded indifferently.  "But hardly in any condition to menace our society.  I wonder what flavor slushie I shall have to celebrate this propitious moment.  Perhaps sour apple, and yet I recall partaking of sour apple on my most recent birthday, when– _urk_!“

Luffa had grabbed him by the collar of his bathrobe.  

"Luffa, he’s a _client_!” Keda protested.  

“ _He’s still alive_ ,” Luffa said again.  "I can sense his energy scattered in the dust.  He’s helpless and too weak to pull himself together, but I want him _dead_ and I want it _now_.  Do I have your attention, you doddering old twit?“

Wulframeye nodded and Luffa inhaled sharply.  "Good,” she said.  "I want you to listen to me as _hard as you can_ because I read his mind and I know how to kill him.  You’re going to _help me_ , and then we’re going to discuss my fee.  Are we clear?“

Wulframeye nodded.  Luffa released him and reached into the pocket of her shorts.  She withdrew a small device and tossed it to Keda.  "Call the ship to pick you up,” she said.  "I’ll be along later.“

"Luffa, don’t–” Keda began to say, but Luffa looked at her with a pained expression and Keda decided it could wait.  "I’ll see you later,“ Keda said.

Luffa picked up the eight-legged horse with one hand and hauled him and his rider into the air.  Keda watched them go until they were nothing but a speck in the sky.  Not for the first time, she wondered if Doctor Topsas had been right all along…

**NEXT: Checkmate**


	18. Chapter 18

_**[15, January, 237 Before Age.   Planet Gwarthos]** _

“So what was _that_ all about?” Keda asked the moment she saw Luffa walk onto the bridge.  The Saiyan was covered in dust and sweat, and sucking on the straw of a large styrofoam cup.

“The bad guy, ‘Fishstick’ or whatever his name was supposed to be,” Luffa said.  "He used a technique to make himself immortal.  He put pieces of his soul in inanimate objects, and hid them where no one could find them.“  

"Wait, he backed up his _soul_?” Keda asked.  

“Yeah, even if his body were destroyed, his disembodied ki could live on and eventually find a way to set itself up in a new form.  Even if you knew how he pulled it off, you’d never be able to find all the items he used and break the spell.”

Luffa paused to take a long sip of her drink.  

“Of course, he didn’t figure on me reading his mind.  Once I knew how he did it, I wanted to make sure I _un_ did it.  Turns out one of them was a sled he buried in a field someplace.  The client was working that angle but he never would have found it without me.  And without my ability to sense power levels, they never would have been sure he was truly dead.”  

“So Hitchplick is gone for good?” Keda asked.  

Luffa nodded, then she turned her head and spit on the deck.  "Miserable bastard!“ she snarled.  "Anyway, long story short, Wulframeye wanted to have a slushie party, and I have to admit they’re pretty good.  This one tastes like baked beans.  It sounds gross but they make it work somehow.”

“Luffa, I was _worried_ about you,” Keda said.  "You looked like you’d seen a ghost after you read Hitchplick’s mind.“

"Heh, that reminds me, did that stupid bear fall for my _ki_ ghost?” Luffa asked, suddenly cheerful.  When Keda nodded Luffa slapped her knee and laughed.  "My mother showed me that trick.  It’s really just a prank Saiyan children use, but I figured now that I’m a Super Saiyan it could actually do some real damage.“

She began chuckling to herself as she sat at one of the aft bridge stations, and she put up her heels on the console.  ”'Rarrgh, I’m a dumbass bear and I ain’t afraid o’ no ghosts.’   _Punch._  Ka _boom!_  Classic.  I’ll have to try that again sometime.“

"Why do you have your tail wrapped around yourself like that?” Keda asked.  

Luffa stared at her.  "What?“ she asked.

"You told me once that only weakling Saiyans do that, to protect their tails during battle,” Keda said.  "You’re no weakling, and the battle’s over.“

Luffa looked down at her waist as though she had never really noticed it before.  "I… I just started… It’s comfortable this way,” she finally said.  "Maybe I was too hard on those chumps who do it all the time.  Heh.  It’ll probably turn into a fashion statement once I make a name for myself.“

Keda decided to let the matter drop.  "Janso contacted us while you were gone.  He said our fee was being transferred into our account, and he might have a new job lined up in a few days.”

“Cool,” Luffa said.  "No more wizards for a while, all right?  I don’t want to get pigeonholed.  She got up from her seat and headed for the door.  "Are you okay taking us up?  Wampaaan'riix told me he showed you how to work the controls, but I don’t know how far he got.“

"I can handle it,” Keda said.  "What’s our destination?“

"Find us a space station where we can have this bucket checked out.  The guy on Plutark who 'gave’ it to me might not have kept up on the maintenance,” Luffa said.  "I’m gonna get cleaned up and take a nap.“

Keda nodded and turned to the helm station to get started.  Luffa opened the door, then stopped, and turned back.  

"Did you hear back from any Dorluns?” Luffa asked.

“Not yet,” Keda said.  "It may take a while for them to receive my signal.“

"I’m sorry,” Luffa said.  "Look, if you get a signal, anything at all… we’ll drop whatever we’re doing and chase it down.  If Janso has a problem with that, too bad.“

"Thanks,” Keda said.  "But we’ll deal with that when the time comes.“

Luffa nodded and left the bridge.  

*******

* * *

_**[6 February 237 Before Age.  Saybolt’s Jewel]** _

"What do you mean there’s nothing for us, Miggerus?”

Miggerus Janso leaned forward in his chair, steepled his fingers, and planted his elbows on his desk.  His office was luxurious, but not extravagantly so.  He knew of life forms who let success go to their heads, who used their fortune as an excuse to litter their workplaces with gawdy golden trinkets and diamond-encrusted everything.  He preferred more subtle touches, like his desk of solid niobium, with anodized colors in patterns to make it resemble finished wood.  The large window behind his chair automatically tinted itself depending on the time of day and the local weather.  There wasn’t a speck of dust in the entire room, and while his current visitor had tracked all sorts of mud and grime onto the hardwood floor he knew that his highly-paid cleaning staff would have it looking immaculate by the time he returned from lunch.  It was little touches like these that impressed the people he did business with.  Precious metals and rare antiques only indicated that a person was rich.  Janso’s office demonstrated that he understood how to use money as a means to an end.

“It’s as I say, Kinsserc,” Janso replied evenly.  "Things have changed while you and the Breaker Corps were busy in the Pharris Cluster.“

Kinsserc’s skin was naturally red, but he seemed to go a few shades darker as they spoke.  He chewed on the end of the lit cigar in his mouth and ran a metal-plated hand through his short white hair.  Once he had regained composure, he gestured with his hand for Janso to explain.  

"Have you heard of Orij?” he asked.  "A Saiyan mercenary who operated in the third quadrant.“

Kinsserc snorted with contempt. "Don’t tell me that oaf managed to swindle the entire galaxy while we were away.”

“Not for lack of trying,” Janso went on.  "I was preoccupied with matters on my homeworld, but I later learned that he had managed to back up some of his more… _grandiose_ claims.  By the end of last year, he had dropped his entire crew and was billing himself as a one-man army.“

"Bullspoor,” Kinsserc snapped.  He took the cigar out of his mouth and tapped it on the armrest of his chair to knock loose some of the ashes.  "Every Saiyan I’ve ever run into tells the same story.  They all think they’re worth a hundred thousand soldiers, and then as soon as they get in over their head they get cold feet.   That’s why God gave 'em tails, you know.  It was a divine warning to every sentient being in the universe.  Sooner or later, they all tuck it between their legs and run.“

"He looted Karas-tarnai,” Janso said.  Kinsserc had nothing response to that save for a series of astonished gasps, so Janso continued.  "Migos-Ornto, the Forbidden Station, even a series of raids into the Camelian Empire.  Mostly outpost worlds, but still very impressive campaigns, and all of them single-handed.“

"All right, so even a stopped clock is right twice a day,” Kinsserc said.  "What’s he up to now?“

"He vanished two months ago,” Janso explained.  "No one really knew where his base of operations was.  Conventional wisdom says  he’s working a new assignment, or he’s resting on his laurels.“  

"And what do _you_ say, Miggerus?”  Kinsserc asked.  

“I suspect Orij of the Saiya bit off more than even he could chew.  He was an expatriate, like most of the Saiyan mercenaries operating in this part of space.  King Revahl tolerates independent operators, but not when they become powerful enough to pose a threat to his regime.  Alternately, in his arrogance, Orij simply took on a caper too big to handle on his own.  In any event, _he’s_ not your problem.  Orij had a daughter, and somehow she’s become even stronger than he was.  

"You’re putting me on,” Kinsserc groaned.  "A Saiyan _woman_ , capable of looting the fortress on Karas-tarnai?“

"I’ve had the pleasure of making her acquaintance.  Rather simple, but quite charming as Saiyans go.  She doesn’t use people’s offices as ashtrays, for one.  And she defeated a sorceror-king on Bigreen.”

“What were you doing there?” Kinsserc asked.  

“I was hiding from Master Hitchplick, who was in the process of conquering my homeworld of Gwarthos,” Janso explained flatly.   “I had toyed with the idea of pitting Bigreen’s wizard-conqueror against Gwarthos’ and hoping they would eliminate one another somehow.  But Luffa appeared and provided me with a more elegant solution.”

“I thought the Saiyans had a treaty with that Hitchplick character,” Kinsserc grunted.  

“King Revahl does, but Luffa is an expatriate, like her father.  I doubt she even knows of the treaty, even if she were inclined to honor it.  As I said, a charming girl, but simple.”

“So what’s the deal, Miggerus?” Kinsserc demanded.  "You’re ditching the Breaker Corps for some Saiyan skirt with more muscles than brains?“

"Of course not,” Janso scoffed.  "You’re far too paranoid, Kinsserc.  The Breaker Corps are a known quantity.  Tested.  Reliable.  In other words, a sound investment.  Luffa is the shock of the new.  Impressive, but unfamiliar.  I received copies of her new business cards the other day.“

He passed one across his desk to Kinsserc, and he read it with disgust.  ” _'The Super Saiyan?’_ “ he said incredulously.

"I know, I rolled my eyes at that one myself,” Janso said.  "But it only proves my point.  She’s a flash in the pan.  A short-term venture to be exploited for immediate gains, but nothing more.  Like her father, she’ll burn out, one way or another.  In the meantime, I prefer to work with her instead of against her.  That way, she won’t damage any of my interests.“

"So what does the Breaker Corps do in the meantime?” Kinsserc asked.  "You expect us to just cool our heels while this 'Super Saiyan’ gets all our work?“

"Of course not,” Janso assured him.  "This is merely a furlough, and a richly deserved one after everything your crew went through in the Pharris Cluster.  The Super Saiyan trusts me for the moment, and I intend to build upon that trust by finding her several more contracts to her liking.  And then, when the time is right, you and your men will return to work rested and refreshed.  All of the most difficult threats in the region will be resolved, your competitors eliminated, and the Super Saiyan you have to thank for it all will lie broken and dead in the halls of Goldwall.“

"Goldwall?  She’d never go _there_ , Miggerus,” Kinsserc said.  "I don’t care _how_ naive she is, she’d never be foolish enough to challenge the–“

"Let _me_ worry about that, won’t you?” Janso said.  He leaned back in his chair and stroked his chin.  "For now, I want you and your crew to take it easy.  I’ve taken the liberty of booking rooms for you all on the resort at Sevenfeld.  And you’ll find a bonus in your accounts tonight.  A small token of my appreciation for your hard work.“

Kinsserc regarded this news with brief skepticism, but at last he smiled in gratitude.  "Bonus, huh?  Well that does sound nice. And I guess if you’re treating us for a while, it takes some pressure off of us to find new work for a while.  Yeah, maybe we can use some R&R.  You’re one of the good ones, Mig.”

They chatted for a while longer about various arrangements, the condition of the Breaker Corps’ warship, the _Prancing Palamino_ , and the results of their work in the Pharris Cluster.  Finally Kinsserc excused himself and left to speak to his men.  Janso looked out the window for a while, then got up from his desk and put on his woolen longcoat and headed to a nearby restaurant for lunch.  

It was rather easy to manipulate these mercenaries, he thought to himself, as he so often did whenever they agreed to his plans.  They never bothered to consider all of the angles, all of the possible contingencies. Perhaps Luffa might survive the gauntlet he had in store for her.  A disaster for the Breaker Corps, but hardly a loss for Miggerus Janso, who could simply continue doing business with the Super Saiyan without issue.  King Revahl was a thornier matter, of course, but Janso could simply claim that he had been coerced into doing Luffa’s bidding.  She was incredibly powerful, after all.  If she actually wanted anything more interesting than a full belly and a good fight, she might actually prove dangerous…

*******   

* * *

_**[12 February, 237 Before Age.  Festid III]** _

The Prince of Festid, Alicante, sat at the head of a long table, which was covered in dishes and trays of the finest delicacies his cooks had to offer.  Luffa devoured these with relish, while Keda had finished eating from her single plate some time ago.  

“I see the Saiyan appetite was not exaggerated!” the prince said excitedly.  "We have so few offworlders in our system, and it can be difficult to separate truth from legend.  Why once I heard of a Saiyan berserker who devoured a great dinosaur all by _himself_!  But there are so _many_ dinosaurs of such different _sizes,_ and such details are always lost in the telling!“  

"Luffa hunted dinosaurs on my home planet, your highness” Keda said.  "They were pretty big.“

"I just wish I had some of your cooks with me at the time,” Luffa said between bites of mollusk tentacle.  "I know my way around a galley, but this is all fantastic.  If you’re still skeptical after tonight, I don’t mind holding another demonstration at breakfast.“

The prince stroked his sharp goatee and made a boyish smile.  "Ha!  Perhaps we should, Madame Saiyan, and brunch as well.  It should give you time to tell me of your exploits in greater detail!  But I see my general has her own curiosity to satisfy.  Come in, come in, Zinfandel, let your beauty brighten my hall!”  

Zinfandel wore simple grey attire that looked almost like a single long band of fabric carefully wrapped around her legs, torso and head.  She was thin, but her bare arms were well toned, and her the wrappings on her head framed a intense, determined face.  The only decoration that might inform her rank was a large, jewel encrusted scabbard that hung from a leather strap over her shoulder.  It lay behind her hips, perpendicular to her spine, the handle positioned just where she could reach it with her right hand.  

“I will not insult you by questioning your might, Saiyan,” Zinfandel said as she descended the stair into the prince’s hall.  "Even the weakest of your race would be a match for my mightiest warriors in single combat.  But strength is so often useless without skill.  This I would see for myself.“

"What’d you have in mind?” Luffa asked, dipping a breadstick in a bowl of green sauce.  

“Our world has a game of martial strategy: Slect-Qu.  Loosely translated it means 'gentle sparring.’”  

Luffa stopped eating and stood up from the table.  "I’m not familiar with it, General, but it sounds interesting.  Like a slow-motion duel?“

She smiled warmly.  "I see it will not take long to teach you how to play.  You needn’t win, Madame Saiyan, but if you wish to find favor in my prince’s eyes, you must at least impress me.”

“Works for me,” Luffa said.  "To be honest, I prefer it this way.  Ever since I first turned Super Saiyan, people have been hiring me sight unseen.  It’s nice to have to prove my credentials once in a while.“

She moved around the table and tapped Keda on the shoulder.  "Watch closely, kid.  You wanted to learn some fighting skills, and this way you can see what I do at a pace you can follow.”

Prince Alicante simply clapped his hands enthusiastically, and settled into his throne to enjoy the show.  

After a brief discussion, Zinfandel took a step back and stood with her feet apart and knees slightly bent.  She crossed her arms over her chest and extended her index and middle fingers.  

Luffa crouched, left knee pointing towards her opponent, the other pointing at a right angle.  She held her right arm to her side and made a fist.  Her left hand she held over her face, fingers curled, but open.  

They took turns moving after that.  Zinfandel opened, and advanced only two steps.  Luffa moved two steps forward herself, and after three turns they were finally close enough to one another to make contact.  The object of the game was to touch the opponent in particular places which would correspond to decisive blows in an actual fight.  Luffa couldn’t reach Zinfandel’s neck because she had raised her arm to protect it.  Her heart was another target, except Zinfandel’s body was turned away just enough to prevent it.  So Luffa used her turn to grab her wrist.  She would have to release it after two more turns, but in the meantime the Festid general would be unable to maneuver away.  

They went on this way for several minutes, and Keda watched in fascination. Eventually they became deadlocked.  Zinfandel held both of Luffa’s wrists and had raised her left knee to block any offense from Luffa’s feet.  

“You’re quite good,” Zinfandel said.  "And you say you’ve never played before?“

"My people are battle junkies,” Luffa said.  "Strong opponents are hard to come by, so we try to get a lot of mileage out of weaker ones by toying with them.  This isn’t too far off from what I’d do in a real combat situation if I was bored.“

The general smiled.  "Perhaps you could show me later.  After I’ve beaten you here, of course.”

“Nah, I think I’ve got you, General,” Luffa said with a smirk.  

“You’re finally going to use that tail of yours?” she asked.  "It is perfectly legal, you know.“

"Maybe so, but I won’t need it,” Luffa said.  "You have to let go of my right arm now, by the way.“

Zinfandel was startled, and she released her grip on Luffa’s wrist with an embarrassed chuckle.  But with her arm free she now held it in a defensive position to protect her chest and neck.  "Please proceed,” she said demurely.  

Luffa used her two steps to turn herself around.  The result was that Zinfandel’s hold on her left wrist had now become a hammerlock, made especially painful because off how close together they now stood.  

“Your pardon,” Zinfandel said, “but this seems like a poor strategy.”

“Ow!  Maybe I’ve gotten desperate,” Luffa grunted.  "Your move.“

Zinfandel chose to press her advantage and stepped in closer and to their right, adding more pressure to the hammerlock.  This made it impossible to strike, however.  Her left hand was free, but she couldn’t reach around towards Luffa’s heart, and Luffa had used her remaining hand to guard her neck.  Since she was going to have to release the hold anyway, she decided to grab Luffa’s left wrist with her left hand, giving the Saiyan two more turns to regret her reckless decision.  Then she could use her right hand to begin her endgame.  

"What now?” she asked, leaning her head in to speak over Luffa’s shoulder.  Naturally she kept her chin down, just in case Luffa planned to go for her neck.  

“Game over,” Luffa said.  She took two steps back, nearly knocking Zinfandel down in the process.  It was clumsy but effective.  Her left hand was just high enough against her own back that it was lined up with the center of Zinfandel’s chest.  All Luffa had to do was extend her finger as she stepped back to close the distance.  

Zinfandel yelped with surprise and rubbed the spot where Luffa had poked her.  Luffa turned around and began swinging her left arm around to loosen up her aching shoulder.  

“It was all a diversion,” Zinfandel exclaimed.  

“You’re too good,” Luffa said.  "In a real fight, Saiyans will take a few hits just to lull them into a false sense of security.“

"But this _wasn’t_ a real fight,” Zinfandel said.  

“Sure, but I made you forget that for a second, didn’t I?” Luffa said.  

Prince Alicante applauded from his throne.  "A marvelous display, ladies, simply profound!  General, I trust the Saiyan meets with your approval?“

Zinfandel glanced at Luffa and nodded to her sovereign.  "Very much so, O prince.  I formally endorse her mission to Festid V.  By your leave, I should like to begin briefing her immediately.”

**NEXT: Into the Unknown**


	19. Chapter 19

_**[13 February 237 Before Age.  Festid V]** _

“We’ll be making our approach in a few minutes. Are you ready?”

Luffa zipped up the thermal bodysuit she had acquired from the Festid military. She adjusted the fingers of the gloves and did a few stretches to check the fit. The suit had a custom sleeve on the back for her tail, and while it was snug in the shoulders, she found the thick padding surprisingly easy to move around in .

“Almost,” she said. She walked over to a storage cabinet in the cargo bay and took out a sword. She kissed the diamond encrusted scabbard, muttered a few words, and hung it over her shoulder, letting it hang behind her hips.

“Isn’t that General Zinfandel’s sword?” Keda asked.

“Yeah,” Luffa said. “She wanted me to bring it along.”

“Why?” Keda asked.

“You’re the survivalist, kid. You tell me.”

“But you always said you preferred to fight unarmed,” Keda said.

“I’m not going to _use_ it,” Luffa said. “It’s a ceremonial sword. It’s probably not even sharp.”

“Then what good would it–?”

Luffa’s ears turned red and she took a long deep breath. “Look, she asked me _very nicely_ to take this with me on the assignment. Sometimes when someone is _very nice_ to you, you do dumb stuff for them because you hope they’ll be _very nice_ to you again the next time you see them.”

“She seemed kind of snooty to me,” Keda said. “Like that outfit of hers was wrapped around her head too tight.”

“Well she changed into something more _comfortable_ after the _children_ went to bed,” Luffa grumbled.

“Why would she–?”

“Are we ready for the drop or not?” Luffa asked impatiently.

“Sure, sure!” Keda said. She backed away and gestured to a display on the bay door. “I have it all set up with the ship’s computer. As soon as we’re over the bunker, the hatch will open automatically, and you can jump for it. Your comm link will probably get jammed, but we’ll keep the line open just in case we get lucky.”

“Fine,” Luffa said. She adjusted the device mounted onto her left ear and picked up a small toolbox that had been lying on the deck.

“Don’t do anything stupid while I’m down there,” she said to the girl. “If you don’t get a signal in three days, it’s because I’m dead. No heroics, got it?”

“Understood,” Keda said. “I should get back to the bridge. Good luck, Luffa!”

She nodded and fixed her attention on the bay door. Thirty seconds after Keda left, they slid apart, and the bay depressurized. Luffa made a running start, leaped out of the ship, and vanished into the clouds below.

When she reached terminal velocity, she transformed into her Super Saiyan mode, using her own power to force herself through the air molecules that dared to impede her descent. In a matter of moments she saw the white roof of an artificial structure. It was partially covered in ice and snow, just like everything else on Festid V, but the right angles made it easy to spot in spite of the camouflage. She increased her speed, and smashed through the roof like a bullet through plate glass. An instant later, she righted herself and came to a stop, her boots making a slight tap as they touched the floor.

She immediately spun around, her left hand raised and ready to blast anyone she found. But the room was empty. Her senses found no trace of _ki_ energy. On an empty planet like this, even a very weak life form would be fairly easy to sense. For a brief moment, Luffa thought she had a faint signal, but the she realized she was picking up Keda’s life force as their ship circled around the planet.

She stayed alert and consulted her other senses. The only sounds were water flowing through pipes in the wall, and the chill winds from outside passing over the hole she had made in the roof. She sniffed the air, and found no scent that resembled the people of Festid III.

“Blondie to Rusty,” she said, trying the comm link mounted over her ear. “Perfect landing, Rusty, but there’s no one home. Are you reading any life signs near my position?”

There was no response. Luffa rolled her eyes. Using the call signs Keda had insisted upon was bad enough. Saying them out loud to no one was worse. “Rusty, do you copy?” she asked again.

They had expected their communications to be jammed, but only because they expected someone to be here to do the jamming. Luffa powered down to her normal state and began a visual search. If the target was already dead, then her client would want proof.

“ _Waste of my time_ ,” she grumbled. “The Legendary Super Saiyan searching an empty building to fetch a handful of _teeth_.”

The quiet was unnerving. After checking every room on the floor, Luffa took a flight of steps to the one below. The bunker had been inhabited at one time, that much was clear. Some of the rooms appeared to be personal quarters, with mattresses and clothing. She even found a pinup photo of a handsome Festid man in a state of undress, doing something very suggestive with a length of rope. Luffa admired the image and moved on.

The next floor down looked like some sort of command center. There was a large table surrounded by chairs, some of which were knocked over. Old papers lay strewn about the room, but there were still no bodies to be found.

The next floor down was an armory. Plasma rifles were mounted on the entire length of a wall, with a wire gate in front of them to ensure inventory control. Luffa found what appeared to be a report, but the paper crumbled in her hands before she could even attempt to read it.

After two more floors, Luffa found a communications station. Most of the equipment was still operational, and even well maintained. Luffa found a jamming device and thought about shutting it off. She decided not to. Someone was servicing this room, and tampering with it give away her presence. On the other hand, smashing a hole in the roof had probably already done that, but there was no reason to broadcast her exact position. She moved on, and took the next flight of stairs.

After ten flights of stairs, she began to regret bringing Zinfandel’s sword along for the mission. It kept bouncing around behind her as she moved down the steps, and she had to keep adjusting the carrying strap. She thought about dumping it somewhere and arranging an “accident” that would destroy the entire bunker, but she doubted the Festid general would buy it. Luffa half-wondered if she only asked her to take the sword along so she would be relieved of its burden for a few days.

At last, twelve floors down, she heard signs of life. The room was dark, save for tiny red and green LED lights on various machines. But something large was shuffling through the room, and making loud noises… almost like the panting of a dog?

Luffa stole stayed close to the wall as she entered, and searched for a light switch. When she couldn’t find one, she shrugged and decided she didn’t really need it.

She transformed, and the room was suddenly bathed in stark yellow light emanating from Luffa’s body. The creature she had heard now turned to face her, and she readied herself for a fight.

It was humanoid in shape, but quite monstrous compared to Festid physiology. Its face was just a large, gaping maw, which spewed some sort of exhaust gas in a rythm that resembled an animal’s breathing. Its arms were long cables that split into three smaller tendrils at the end. These waved about quite aimlessly as it moved. The rest of its body appeared to be made of flesh, but a pallid, slimy-looking flesh. Its feet resembled the talons of a bird.

“So you’re Severnyi,” Luffa said. “Not what I expected, but it doesn’t matter much now. I was going to take my time with you, but after an hour of sneaking around this dump I think I’d rather make this short and sweet.”

The creature flailed its cable-arms wildly and a stream of vapor roiled from its maw, but it made no obvious move to attack or defend itself. Luffa grew impatient and decapitated it with a single _ki_ blast. It fell backward and its tentacles dropped to the cement floor with a series of metallic clangs. She walked over and stood over its headless corpse to take a better look.

“Not so spooky when you can’t sneak up on anybody,” she muttered, holding up her toolbox. “I didn’t even need to put down my lunch. I guess your only trick was to hide your _ki_ somehow. Well–”

The creature suddenly whipped its right “arm” around Luffa’s left leg. Before she could react it flung her across the room, slamming her into a stack of plastic drums. Luffa recovered almost instantly, but the metal cables were still clinging to her thigh, and the creature yanked her through the air again, this time sending her crashing into an old desk.

It made a third attempt, but this time Luffa was ready. She planted her feet on the floor and refused to budge. When it seemed that the headless creature was pulling as hard as it could, Luffa severed the cable with a _ki_ blast, and it tumbled backward.

“What the hell _are_ you?” she asked. Without pausing, she blasted the creatures other limbs, then examined its torso. This time she kept her distance.

The torso wriggled for a few minutes, then came to rest. Slowly, Luffa began to realize that it had been dead all along, and some sort of machine had been moving it around. She fired another blast through the creature’s gut just to be safe, then resumed her search of the building.

It was in the lowest level that she sensed it. A strange compulsion led her down the hallway of the lowest level. She ignored the other rooms and went straight into the one at the end of the corridor. The door slid open at her approach, and she stepped inside to find a withered humanoid slumped over in a large metal chair. Mechanical devices surrounded him, some built into his chair, others mounted on the wall behind him, others flanking him on either side. A number of tubes and electrical cables had been inserted into his head and arms.  At long last, Luffa could sense his energy, but it was extremely weak.  

The man himself appeared to be one of the Festid race. His skin was paler than Zanfindel’s, but not beyond the range of colors Luffa had seen on Festid III. He was completely hairless, but that was probably due to his advanced age, and the condition he was in.

What set him apart was his eyes. They were a vibrant purple color Luffa had never seen on Festid III or any other world. Aside from the difference in hue, they reminded Luffa of the way her own eyes gleamed whenever she transformed. She suddenly knew how everyone else felt when they saw her in that state.

The compulsion Luffa had felt before was gone now. Whatever force had led her into this room was apparently satisfied. She crouched slowly to set her toolbox on the floor, watching the man carefully as she did. When he made no response, she decided he was waiting for her.

“All right,” she said. “I suppose you’re the one who was controlling that thing upstairs, which must make _you_ Severnyi. So what now?”

His throat quivered slightly, as though he were attempting to talk, but it was a speaker driver mounted at the base of his chair that produced his answer.

“Now one of us must destroy the other.”

**NEXT: One Woman and the Mule.**


	20. Chapter 20

> CAPSULE CORPORATION ASTRO-ARCHAELOGY DIVISION
> 
> Date: October 29, Age 974  
> From: Special Collections Department–North City Research Campus  
> To: Capsule Corp Board of Directors;  Briefs, Jorts; Special Collections–West City Museum of Saiyan History;   
> Cc: Royal Archivist–King’s Castle; Space Diplomatic Corps  
> Re: Transcript of Festid V audio file
> 
> I have completed my analysis of the audio recording discovered by the expedition team on Festid V.  As many of you know by now, this file captures a conversation between the Super Saiyan of the 3rd Century B.A., and Severnyi, the exiled despot of Festid III.  My official transcript of the recording is attached to this message in plain text.  
> 
> –Dr. Gyonu  
> Capsule Corporation  
> Astro-Archaeology Division, Linguistics Corps

_[Note: Some audio was irrevocably lost.  The timestamp on the file places it at 16 February, 237 Before Age.]_

Luffa: So what now?

Severnyi: Now one of us must destroy the other.  But first, it has been so long since I have entertained visitors.  I would like for us to talk a while, before one of us is destroyed.  Won’t you sit down?

L: I’d rather stand.  

S: I’m surprised to see a Saiyan bearing the sword of a Festid general.  Don’t tell me they’ve allowed mercenaries to assume staff officer positions.  

L: Oh, the sword.  No, it’s not mine.  The owner asked me to take it along for the mission.  Something about a matter of honor.

S: Ah, yes, the Rite of Proxy.  You do you friend a great service.  Festids don’t relish the idea of mercenaries handling their affairs.  I didn’t know Saiyans were so mindful of other cultures.  

L: Well, I get around a lot.  Cultural sensitivity goes a long way in my line of work.  Besides, I know a thing or two about pride.  

S: May I ask what brings you to Festid V?

L: I think you already know that.  You are Severnyi, aren’t you?  I’m here to kill you.

S: I am Severnyi, and I expected as much.   That is why I wished to talk first.  We won’t be able to exchange pleasantries later.  And you are…?

L: Luffa.  

S: Won’t you sit down, Luffa?

L: I already told you no.  

S: Yes, I see.  You’re much more formidable than the last visitors I received.  

L: Mind powers.  That’s why they were so worried about you on Festid III.  You can influence people’s thoughts.  

S: I prefer to call it “mentalism”, but you are quite correct.  I am a mutant.  My altered genes give me that ability.  You must have sensed my mental “tug” leading you down the corridor of this level of my bunker.  I saw no reason to delay our encounter by waiting for you to search the entire floor.  

L: Yeah, I noticed that.  You could have used it a lot sooner and saved us both a lot of trouble.  I lost count of how many of those upper levels I searched on my way down here, and all of them were empty.  

S: Alas, the range of my powers is quite limited.  I couldn’t affect you until you reached this level.  In any case, I wanted to see how you fared against my sentry.  You were most impressive.  Tell me, do all Saiyans have the power to glow in the dark the way you did?

L: I’m the only one.

S: Ah, then perhaps you are a mutant like myself!

L: No, I thought of that, but the tests came back negative.  As far as I know, any Saiyan could do it, but the way I got this power… I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy.  

S: I see.  Perhaps we are more alike than I first thought.  

L: How do you figure that?  You’re tucked away in this hole down here on the surface of a frozen wasteland of a planet.  Tied to machines to help you breathe, from the look of it.  Hell, that’s not even your voice I’m hearing, is it?  Just a speaker system tied into the speech centers of your brain.  

S: I wasn’t always quite like this, you understand.  A progressive neurological disorder.  One of the drawbacks to my mutant physiology.  In my youth it was manageable, but that was a long time ago.  And yet… I see something in your eyes when you look at me.  You’ve been in this sorry state yourself once.  I can’t read minds as such, but your body language gives it away.  Others looked on me with revulsion or pity, but you…

L: Back off.  

S: Of course.  I apologize.  Did they bother to explain just why they wanted me dead?   Why they had not simply killed me already?

L: All I was told was that you were a major-league world-beater decades ago.  You ruled most of Festid III, and then a rebellion forced you into exile here.  Your followers built this fortress and planned to use it to stage a counter-insurgency, but it never happened.  Festid III was happy to leave it at that, but then some crackerjack scientists found deposits of mischmetal on Festid V, and the government started sending exploration teams to set up a mining operation.  None of them ever came back.

S: Mischmetal.  So that’s what it was.  I questioned them, of course, but all they ever knew was that they were sent here to see if the bunker was still inhabited.  This is the only permanent installation on the planet.  It would be the perfect base for any long-term project.  

L: No one on Festid III knew what was going on.  They sent teams to investigate, and they vanished without a trace.  Communications were jammed.  They sent commandos, thinking you were still alive and still plotting a military strike, but they vanished too.   I guess you became something of a legend, Severnyi.  They could have ignored you, or just bombed this place from orbit, and that would have been the end of you.  But by the time they thought of that, everyone was convinced you were armed to the teeth, with a legion of troops just waiting to launch an invasion.  

S: Why send a lone Saiyan then?

L: Because I’m a Super Saiyan, and I have a reputation for fighting entire armies single-handed.  Festid III didn’t want to commit troops to a full-scale invasion, not when they didn’t know what they’d be facing.  But espionage missions weren’t cutting it either.  I’m the compromise.  A small enough force to slip past your defenses, but strong enough to fight my way back out.  Only there’s nothing to fight.  Your whole defense was a damn bluff.    

S: Ah, I hadn’t considered that.  Most mercenaries might have considered this a “plum gig”.  Full pay for minimal effort, but that flies in the face of the Saiyan longing for battle.  Still, if you’re as strong as you say, would it have made any difference if I had an army ready to meet you?

L: Probably not.  

S: What do your fellow Saiyans think of you, now that you’ve become what you are?

L: I haven’t met any since it happened.  What about it?

S: Let me tell you a story.  On my homeworld, among my people, there is a legend that boys born with purple eyes will change the course of history.  Modern science discounts all this, of course.  Purple eyes are rare among the Festid genome, but not impossible.  But superstition is a deeply entrenched thing.  When I was born, many hailed me as a child of destiny.  Great things were expected of me.  And in time, I delivered.

L: Using your powers, I take it.  

S: Of course.  When I discovered the influence I could have on the minds of others, I used it.  As I said, it isn’t “mind control”.  More of an “adjustment”.  I can alter someone’s mind, making that person see things more the way I want them to.  It’s subtle.  Effective.  The beauty of my power was that I could manipulate thousands of people and they didn’t even know I had done it.  

L: What did you do?

S: I saved the world.  I certainly had my work cut out for me.  Social inequality, pollution, corruption, and so on.  It’s not so insurmountable once you get enough people on the same page.  I couldn’t “adjust” everyone, of course.  Some people were resistant to my powers, and too opposed to my policies.  It would arouse suspicion, and anyway, it was simpler to influence them against me instead.  That way they became radicalized, and moderate officials began to side with me as a voice of reason.  I won’t bore you with the details, but you’ve seen Festid III.  Anything impressive about that place was my doing, I assure you.

L: Not everything, I think, but I get your point.  So what went wrong?

S: What went wrong was the “bluff” you spoke of.  I thought I was powerful, but my power was nothing compared to my legend.    There were matters beyond my control.  Natural disasters.  Industrial accidents.  Diseases.  I could react to these problems and deal with them efficiently, but I could not prevent them.  No one could.  But the man with the purple eyes could do anything.  That was the legend.  If there were tsunamis in a major city and he failed to stop it, then surely I caused it.

L: They became afraid of you.

S: Oh, they probably feared me from the beginning, but at least they knew I could be reasoned with.  Once they began to blame me for matters beyond my control, they became desperate.  A rebellion began, and there was little I could do to stop it.  It wasn’t a matter of “adjusting” a handful of leaders anymore.  This was widespread dissent.  In the end, I realized the only way to preserve what I had built was to abandon it all.  My supporters and I retreated to Festid V, and I have remained here ever since.  

L: What happened to them?

S: They’re all dead.  Most of them believed that my exile on this world was merely a play for time.  They expected me to devise a counter-revolution and take back our homeworld.  But I knew this was futile.  Even if I succeeded, the same problem would happen all over again.  And as I grew older, I began to appreciate my mortality.  Do you have any children, Luffa?  Could they become Super Saiyans like you?

L: I… I don’t know.  

S: In my case, the question is moot.  My mutant genes have left me quite sterile.  One day I realized that no matter how effectively or carefully I ruled Festid III, it would all fall apart once I died.  A dynasty of mutant despots ruling the planet with mentallic powers would be no guarantee, but at least I could take some assurance from it.  But no.  My impact on the universe ends with me.  Slowly, my followers began to accept this truth as I do.

L: Then how did they die?

S: Some of them wanted to leave the planet and return home.  There was nothing for them on Festid V.   Nothing but waiting on a crippled old man for the rest of his life.  Even this was little diversion.  These machines you see are quite capable of tending to my needs.  At most, I only really need a single person to take care of me.  But I couldn’t allow the rest of them leave.  

L: Why not?  

S: Because I had no desire to die, and I knew that if my supporters returned home, they would tell others about me.  The truth of my intentions, my medical condition, the exact nature of my powers.  And the ones who feared me would try to take advantage of my vulnerability.  As you said, my only defense here is a bluff.  

L: You killed your own men?  All of them?  

S: Not personally.   I “adjusted” enough of them to prevent the rest from leaving, and eventually a conflict broke out in the higher levels of this bunker.  They killed each other.  

L: Why are you telling me all of this?

S: Because I want you to understand, Luffa.  I see in you a kindred spirit, whether you agree with that or not.  A being with your power might go on to do great things, but you may find yourself hated and feared for your trouble.  Festid III might see you as a hero if you manage to kill me, but they will eventually consider that Severnyi’s assassin must be even more dangerous than Severnyi himself.  When that happens, I wonder if your friend the general will be quite so… friendly.  

L: It’s too late to go back now.  I’m the Super Saiyan, for better or worse.  

S: Indeed.  I merely ask you to consider the worse.  And one other thing.

L: What’s that?

S: I cannot allow you to leave this place either.  If you can overpower me, then so be it, but should I prevail, you will remain here with me forever.  

L: You really think you can “adjust” me into staying here until I die of old age, Severnyi?  Get real.

S: Not at all.  I would convert your body into a cyborg, as I did with the sentry you destroyed.  He was the last mercenary sent to investigate this place, by the way.  He was more susceptible to my powers, but in the long term, I needed a servant I could control more completely.  Someone who could be directed by the computers in my life support systems.  

L: So that’s why I couldn’t sense his life energy.  The poor bastard was dead all along.  

S: I need not kill you to make the conversion possible, you understand.  If you fear murder more than slavery, I can leave your consciousness in tact.  The decision is yours, though I regret that I would be desecrating your body either way.  

L: Uh-huh.  You know, I was thinking about clearing out of here, reporting back to the client and letting them decide what to do with you, Severnyi.  It’d save you a broken neck, for whatever that’s worth.  

S: It disgusts you to kill such a helpless opponent.  Your mercy is appreciated but I cannot accept it.  You must either submit to my will, or murder me. That is why I said one of us must destroy the other.  I can permit no alternative.  It has been a pleasure, Luffa.  Good luck.  

L: Dammit, Severnyi, don’t make me do this.  Ah!  

S: You don’t have to do anything.  Please, take a seat.

L: I told you.  That won’t work on me.  

S: Your resistance is strong, to be sure.  I wonder how long it will last?  An hour?  A day?   I have nowhere else to go and nothing better to do.  

L: Severnyi, please!  Fine!  Have it your way then!

_[Transcriber’s note: The audio records what sound like footsteps, presumably Luffa walking across the room (See Schematic 5A).  This is followed by thirty-one seconds of silence.]_

L: Blondie to Rusty.  You read me?  Mission accomplished.  No, no trouble at all, just took me a while to search the building.  That’s all right, take your time.  I still haven’t opened my lunch yet.  

_[Audio ends here.]_

**NEXT: On the other hand…**


	21. Chapter 21

_**[19 April, 237 Before Age. Outer Hythoon]** _

As Royan Brifac walked through the battlefield, he realized he was being much quieter about it than he really needed to be.  There was no sign of life, let alone danger.  If anything, his slow, deliberate pace was more about respecting the serenity of the locale rather than any sort of caution.  

His sources had told him that the Battle of Outer Hythoon would decide the entire war.  The fighting would be fierce, and it would last for days, if not weeks.  But as Royan approached the Hythoon system in his ship, he found that the battle had ended almost as soon as it had begun.  No one was there to intercept him as he entered orbit around the planet to scan for life signs.  No one was there to meet him when he landed in the nearest clearing.  The only beings he encountered on the surface were corpses.  His only companions were a sky full of dark clouds and the mud that sucked at his boots with each step.

At last, he found a column of smoke near the edge of a forest.  A woman wearing a black rain poncho was hunched over a campfire, cooking in what appeared to be a helmet.  He headed towards her, neither increasing his pace nor calling any attention to himself.  When he was close enough to hear, she looked up and called to him with a warm smile.  

“Afternoon,” she said.  "I take it you’re with the Alliance High Command.  The Zoon forces had a supply cache a few clicks away, and I’m trying to make something decent out of the rations.“  

It was at that moment Royan noticed the animal carcass lying at her feet.  She set the helmet down and tore off a chunk of its flesh, then tossed it into the makeshift pot.  She then picked up a box of rations and selected a condiment, which she dispensed into the helmet and stirred with a combat knife.  

"Actually… I’m not from the Alliance,” Royan said.  He patted at his vest in search of the pocket that held his press identification, and after an awkward silence he pulled it out and held it up for her to see.  "I’m Royan Brifac, with the Galactic Herald.“

She made a puzzled face.  "War correspondent?”  

“Actually… I’m not assigned to cover the war,” he explained sheepishly.  "I’m here to see _you_.  The war just made you easier to find.“

"Me.”

“You _are_ the Super Saiyan, right?”

“Yeah.  So?”

“How old are you?”

“Twenty.”

Royan let that answer sink in for a moment.  His oldest nephew was twenty-one, and he could barely hold down a job.  "Do you mind if I sit down?“ he finally asked.  She didn’t, so he took a seat on a relatively dry patch of ground near her fire.

"I’m writing an article about you,” he explained.  "I’m sorry, I thought that would be obvious, but now that we’ve met I realize you haven’t noticed what’s been going on.“

"What do you mean?” she asked.

“You’ve become a bit of a sensation in this part of the galaxy, Luffa,” Royan said.  "My editor wants me to separate fact from fiction.   There was a lot of mass hysteria on Bigreen, but medical records put you and Hamey in their capital city at the same time.  Witnesses say you turned into a “Super Space Warrior” and defeated him.“

"Hell yeah,” Luffa said with a nostalgic smile.  

“But witnesses on Plutark VII say you dismantled the Deathmatch Syndicate without transforming at all,” Royan went on.  "That account lines up with reports of a Saiyan single-handedly raiding outposts in the Camelian Empire.  Or it would, except most of the Camelian reports describe a man.“

"That was me on Plutark, but I’ve never been as far as Camelia,” Luffa said.  

“I’ve heard of your campaigns on Gwarthos, Teko-Teko, and the Veldtmoon, among others.  Is it true you secured universal suffrage for Planet Grippo by defeating its President in a pepper-eating contest?”

“They were barbecue potato chips, actually,” Luffa explained.  "But they were really spicy.  Look I was _there,_ Royan.  Well, I’ve never been to Teko-Teko, but what’s your point?“

"Maybe I should just show you,” he said, pulling a computer tablet from his jacket.  He queued up a video file.  "This is something that’s been going around on Xylemine,“ he said.  "I understand you slew a Glorm that had invaded one of their colonies.”

She nodded as she took the tablet from him and started to play it.  "Okay.  Yeah.  I have no idea who this guy is,“ she said.

"Keep watching…” Royan said. He leaned forward and studied her expression carefully.

“What, is he some kind of athlete?” Luffa asked.  "Guess he just won.  Well, good for him.  What does this have to do with–?“

She dropped the tablet onto the ground and scooted away from it.  Royan was astonished.  He’d never heard of a Saiyan becoming so rattled by anything, let alone a harmless video.  "Hey!  These things are expensive,” he protested.

“I-if that was some kind of joke, it’s not funny!” she gasped.  "What the _hell_ was _that_ supposed to be?“

"I’m sorry,” Royan said, sudddenly remembering who he was talking to.  "I didn’t mean to… Look, in the original version, it’s just an athlete making a winning goal in a match.  He started pumping his fists and yelling because he was so caught up in the moment.  He went a little overboard, and it became a fad to edit the video with different effects.  You know, like a joke.  Well, after you slew the glorm, someone on Xylemine went in and modified the footage to make it look like he was changing into…“

"Into this!?” Luffa growled.  She sprang to her feet and balled her fists.  Before Royan could react she had transformed.  Her black hair glowed bright yellow and her once-cordial dark eyes had turned into an icy green.  Whoever had edited the video had been fairly competent with special effects, but now that Royan was sitting less than five feet from the real thing, he had to admit that there was no comparison.  

“ _You_ , Royan Brifac!  I choose _you_ to be the _first_ of my victims!” she said ominously as she began walking towards him.  Royan was too shocked to move, but still lucid enough to realize it would make no difference.  Luffa could have killed him in an instant at any time.  He had known the risks, but he still couldn’t believe it had all gone haywire so fast–

And then she powered down and changed back to normal.  Her hair settled down and returned to its dark color.  The poncho she wore stopped flapping and ruffling and gravity took hold once again.  She turned her back on Royan and went back to check on her helmet of chow.  

“A little Saiyan humor for you, Royan,” she muttered.  "My kind are pretty easy-going…. _usually_ , but that’s because we’re so secure in the fact that we can murder anyone we want.  I try not to let it go to my head, but I’m the strongest Saiyan in the universe.  It’s not a joke, it’s a _fact_.“  She returned to her spot by the fire and dropped herself back to a sitting position.   "Might want to keep that in mind,” she added.  

For a full minute, neither of them said a word.  Royan was too frightened at first, but his terror quickly shifted to anger.  He wasn’t here to cover this particular war, but he had toured other battlefields in his career.  Despots, crime lords, natural disasters, and plenty of obstinate people who tried to intimidate him.  "It’s not worth it" was always the message.  "You’ll get hurt if you ask too many questions around here.“

"I’m not afraid of you,” Royan said, a little surprised by his own defiance.  "I mean, I respect what you are, what you can do, but I’m not afraid of you.“

"Yeah, well you _should_ be afraid of me,” Luffa warned.  " _I_ am.“

Again, silence.  Just as Royan was beginning to wonder how to salvage the situation, she shook her head and sighed.  "Sorry,” she said.  "I over-reacted.  You didn’t come all this way to screw with me.  I shouldn’t have flown off the handle like that.“

"It’s all right,” Royan said.  

“No, it isn’t,” Luffa said.  "I’m getting _better_ at controlling it, but I’m not where I want to be yet.  I just got done fighting before you showed up, but these guys–“ she waved her knife around to gesture towards the dead soldiers and broken materiel on the field.  "They weren’t nearly enough to satisfy this thing.”

“‘Thing’?” Royan asked.

“That’s what I call it,” Luffa said.  "My transformation.  Saiyans are battle junkies, but a _Super_ Saiyan is even worse.  Problem is I have a harder time finding a fight big enough to scratch the itch.  When I turn into that thing, sometimes it doesn’t want to go back inside me.  It looks for excuses to come back out.“

"I’ve talked to a few Saiyans about that,” Royan said.  "They claim a genuine Saiyan wouldn’t bother with the restraint you’re talking about.  They would just ride the power and cut a swath of destruction.“

"They’re full of–!” Luffa shouted, and then she caught herself and calmed down again.  "Sorry again,“ she said, shutting her eyes tightly.  "A year ago, I might have said the same thing, but when you actually _have_ this kind of strength it changes your perspective.  You struggle to hold on to who you are.  If I just gave into the urge, I’d blow up this whole planet and suffocate in space.  I’m better than that.  At least, I gotta believe I am, or I’ll end up dead.”  

“So then,” Royan said, “You say you are a true Saiyan.  For the record.”

“Yeah,” Luffa said.  "I guess I can see where other Saiyans would think I’m some kind of alien, but it’s a natural transformation.  I’m pure-blooded.  Anyone who says otherwise can go to hell.“  She checked on her helmet and stirred the contents a little.  "So why are they so interested in my powers on Xylemine?”

“It’s not just there,” Royan said.  "What you’ve done these past several months, it’s become something bigger than you realize.  This transformation you do, it inspires people.“

"Why?”

“Well, it gives you the power to do incredible things,” Royan said.   “It would have taken a small army of Saiyans several days to liberate Thanesrock.  You did it _alone_ in a matter of minutes!  Outer Hythoon was _supposed_ to be a Zoon stronghold, and you’re just sitting here cooking dinner while you wait for Allied Command to contact you.”

“That’s the business model,” Luffa said.  "I can do more work with less overhead.  My rates are a triple what most mercs would charge, but it’s a bargain because you only have to hire one of me.“

"Have you thought about the people who hire you?” Royan asked.  "They’re faced with incredible adversity, but they lack the resources to overcome them.  They come to you because they’re desperate, because they need a miracle!“

Luffa stared at him.  

"They need a hero,” Royan added.  "That’s why I came to find you.  You’ve become a sensation wherever you go.  Veldtmoon residents call you the Golden Vengeance. They’re making a movie about you on Ulok.   Teenagers on Gwarthos are all dyeing their hair bright yellow and spiking it.   People look up to you.“

"How do I get them to stop?” Luffa asked.  

Royan was dumbfounded.  He almost laughed until he saw the earnestness in her eyes.  He had come to the Hythoon system to find a larger-than-life champion, but she was just some ingenue trying to make her way through the universe.  If she had been one of Royan’s species, her biggest problem might have been cramming for college exams.  

“I don’t think you _can_ make them stop,” Royan said.  "It’s out of your hands.  You said you never went to Teko-Teko, but they _think_ you did.  Either way, they make Super Saiyan toys now.“  He picked up his tablet and opened a photo library of Luffa-related merchandise.  He handed it to her, somewhat cautiously this time.  

"Who is this guy with the skull for a head?” Luffa asked after looking at the images.

“They made up a lot of enemies for you,” Royan explained.  "The Luffa toys sell better, obviously, but they found they could make more money selling accessories and other characters for you to interact with.“

"Why would I drive an ‘Action Van’ with a big picture of me on the side?” Luffa asked.  "I have a spaceship.  I can fly.“

"They only made that because people will buy it,” Royan said.  "That’s my point.  Your image has taken on a life of its own.  You’re a hero to people whether you want to be or not.“

She took the helmet out of the fire and set it beside her to cool.  "What if I killed a bunch of old people?” she asked.  "Maybe destroy something sacred.“

"Do you really want to do that?” Royan asked.

“No,” she admitted.  "No, and I guess I should have seen this coming.  It happened to Chanisp, after all.  Darbock too.“

"Who are they?” Royan asked.  

“Well Chanisp was another Super Saiyan who lived about a thousand years ago,” she explained.  "They built a statue of him on Bigreen, because he saved their planet.  Turns out he and I have the same power to transform.  Everyone on Bigreen loves the guy, and he’s been dead for centuries.  The thing is, he probably only saved them because he needed a good fight.   Same with Darbock.  He saved Planet Plant from some space pirates.  I don’t know if he transformed or not, but he was a pretty big deal.“

"When did he live?” Royan asked.  

Luffa rolled her eyes and began counting on the fingers of her right hand.  "Uhhhh… I guess that’s about two thousand years back.“

"So you’re telling me that a Super Saiyan appears once every thousand years?” Royan asked.  

“How the hell would I know?” Luffa said.  "I didn’t get a manual.  All I’m saying is that we all became so strong that the only way to get a decent workout was to fight evil monsters.  A hero does it because it’s the right thing to do.  I’m charging for it, and I’m only in this line of work because I need the exercise.  If people want a role model, they should wait a thousand years for the _next_ poor sucker to start glowing like a candle.  They can make crummy merchandise out of _that guy_.“  

With that she picked up her helmet and used her fingers to scoop the contents into her mouth.  

"But–” Royan started to say.  

“No 'buts’,” she mumbled as she chewed her food. “Look, I know what this is all about.  People call us 'monkeys’ and when we do something about it they say we’re brainless savages.  I’ve met Saiyans who cut off their tails just to fit in better.”  She raised her tail and wagged the tip of it.   People used to look at me like I had fleas.  Suddenly I can turn into a _shiny golden thing_ and being a Saiyan isn’t so bad anymore, I guess.  Like I’m an angel or something.  But I’m not.“

"What are you then?” Royan asked.  

She shook her head.  "The transformation strips away everything else.  Friendship, honor, pride, it all goes out the window, and all that’s left is this all-consuming urge to fight.  Maybe it looks pretty, and maybe it does people some good, but if they knew it the way _I_ do, they wouldn’t admire it so much.   The funny thing is, I’m starting to like it.“

"You mean you didn’t like it before?” Royan asked.  

“I wasn’t very strong before it happened,” she said.  By Saiyan standards, I mean.  I took some pride in other things.  I used to train some clients in basic combat.   Taught myself how to cook.  I know all the old legends my mother taught me.  I married and we planned to start a family.  A Saiyan doesn’t live on battle alone.  But a Super Saiyan _does_.  I’m still trying to wrap my head around that.  That’s what all these people need to understand!  I’m kind of messed up right now.  Maybe Chanisp or Darbock had more time to get it right, but I’m not ready for this yet.  I just need to make a living while I sort this out.“

"Sort what out?” Royan asked. “Your powers?”

“Not just that,” she said.  "I mean… the Saiyans of legend, I know their stories.  What they did.  But how did they know to do it all?  They’ll tell stories about _me_ someday, but how do I make it good?“

"With your power, I don’t see the problem,” Royan said.  "You can do just about anything you can imagine.“

"I met a guy not too long ago.  He was a legend among his own people, and he had mental powers that let him make other people do what he wanted,” Luffa said.  "You’d think he could do anything, right?  Long story short, the people he wanted to save hired me to kill him.“

She stuffed a glob of food into her mouth and chewed it.  "Not how I’d want _my_ story to turn out,” she mumbled.  

“So come up with a better ending,” Royan said.

“Yeah, but how do I do that?” Luffa asked.  "I’m a warrior, not a storyteller.“

"That’s easy,” Royan said.  "Think about all the stories you’ve ever been told.  Think about what you liked and what you didn’t like about them.  Think about the kind of story you’d want to hear.  Then tell it.  Or _live_ it, I suppose I should say.“

She considered this for a while, and then she stood up and looked around.  Royan could only guess that she was reminiscing about her recent battle.  

"Yeah… maybe you’ve got something there, Royan,” she said wistfully.  "I’ve been fighting other people’s battles this whole time, and that’s fun and all, but maybe I need to be thinking about where I’m going with all this…“

A shrill chirp emanated from within the sleeve of Royan’s jacket.  He exposed his wrist to look at the proximity sensor device he had been wearing.  

"Uh-oh,” he groaned.  "Your Alliance friends just entered the Hythoon system.  They won’t be very happy when they find me here.“

"Why not?” Luffa snorted.  "If you managed to slip through their blockades without getting shot down, that’s on them.  They ought to offer you a job in the officer corps.“

He chuckled as he pulled his sleeve back over his arm.  "Well, in my experience generals don’t have much use for journalists, especially resourceful types like me.  If I don’t get moving they’ll 'promote’ me all the way to a detainment camp–”

“And if they try, I’ll 'promote’ them all to _casualties_ ,” Luffa muttered.  "I just won these guys a whole war, and for pennies on the dollar.  You’re welcome to hang around as long as you like.  The Alliance will just have to deal with it.“

Royan had been stowing his tablet in his jacket, and mentally preparing himself to depart when she said this.  He paused, and thought about it.  "Thanks,” he said. “I’m not used to this sort of reception from people in power.”

“Power schmower,” Luffa said.  "I was a weakling once.  I know how it goes.  Anyway, I need you to explain these dolls to me.  I didn’t have a lot of toys when I was a kid.  Well, they were weapons, really.  I mostly played with weapons when I was a kid.   So what are you supposed to do with these things, exactly…?“

**NEXT: Kandai**


	22. Chapter 22

_**[7 July 237 Before Age.  Mignogna Station]** _

Kandai sat at the bar and nursed his drink.  By now the Wyvern Festival on Vedev III was long over.  The coolant leak on his ship had guaranteed that he would miss the slaughter of the Wyvern itself, but he had hoped the engineers on Mignogna Station could get it fixed in time for him to make it to the feast.  He had even tried booking passage on a freighter, but an ion storm had kicked up, and all ships were grounded until it passed.

“Real sorry you couldn’t make it to your party, Mr. Kandai,” the bartender said as he toweled off the inside of a tumbler.  "You know, I’ve met a few Saiyans from out of Vedev.  They say it’s a real barn-burner.“  

Kandai snorted and shook his head.  The bartender was a fat, orange man with thinning white hair.  His only passion seemed to be making unsolicited conversation.  That, and meticulously cleaning his glassware whether it needed it or not.  

"Say, do you think the Super Saiyan ever goes to the festival?” the bartender asked.  "I just wonder what she does in her down time.“

"What?” Kandai asked.  

“Aw, Chadder, are you _still_ on that business?” called a crimson-hued man from the far end of the bar.  "The Super Saiyan’s a _guy_.“

"I know you _wish_ he was a guy, Zeralla,” Chadder taunted.  "But I know for a _fact_ that she’s a chick.  You remember that big fella from Rantoul II?  He says he saw her in action in the Hathwar sector.“

"Oh get out of here,” Zeralla scoffed.  "The Super Saiyan doesn’t leave any witnesses!  That guy’s so full of spoor it’s coming out his ears.“

"Way I hear it she’s not bad-looking,” Chadder said.  He pointed a thumb at Kandai.  "She probably wouldn’t give you or me the time of day, but I bet a strapping young man like _Kandai_ might have a shot with her.   _He’d_ know how to turn her crank.“

"What in _blazes_ are you _gibbering_ about?” Kandai demanded.  He’d heard of the “Super Saiyan”, of course.  Everyone had heard of him by now.  Or _her_ , depending on who was doing the telling.  He was a hero to some, a villain to others.  Some claimed he was the ghost of one of the old Saiyan legends, his spirit having grown too strong to remain trapped in the underworld.  Mercenaries claimed he (or _she_ ) was hurting their business, ending entire wars with a single strike.  

What had offended Kandai was this unseemly talk of _physical intimacy_ and the insinuation that the “Super Sayain” was indeed a genuine member of his own race.  The Saiyans were a proud people, and they took pride in their physical distinctiveness.  Their dark hair never grew beyond a certain length.  Their brown prehensile tails resembled those of lower primates, and while they represented a weak point on their bodies, their tails also allowed Saiyans to transform into giant ape-like creatures under the light of a full moon.  The “Super Saiyan” was a mockery of these traits.  He (or _she_ ) transformed into some kind of phosphorescent humanoid.  His hair even _changed color_ , which should have been impossible for a _true_ Saiyan.  And why would a real Saiyan with that kind of power engage in such petty activity?   Why end other people’s disputes if you could conquer and pillage for your own benefit?  Why not march on King Revahl’s fortress and rule Planet Saiya as a god?  Or _goddess_?  Or whatever?

That had been Orij’s goal, after all.  His father-in-law had confided in him a desire to surpass his station in life and find a way to become the strongest Saiyan alive.  When Kandai first heard about the “Super Saiyan”, he briefly wondered if it was Orij fulfilling that dream.  But Orij would have pressed his advantage by now.  Word of the “Super Saiyan’s” activities seemed aimless and confused, like he (or _she_ ) didn’t know what to do with himself.  Every Saiyan he had met agreed with that assessment.  They couldn’t deny the warrior’s strength.  He was definitely a Super- _Something_.  But a Saiyan?  It was an insult, one that every _true_ Saiyan longed to avenge.  

He wondered how Orij’s plans were proceeding.  The old man had subjected himself to a series of bizarre experiments conducted by the Tikosi, an alien race with a talent for genetic engineering.  Their scheme was to exploit the Saiyan power of _Zenkai_ , the ability to grow stronger after recovering from near-fatal wounds.  Orij had originally planned to subject his own wife to repeated _Zenkais_ under controlled conditions, which the Tikosi would then analyze.  In time, they adapted the plan to use Orij’s daughter–Kandai’s wife–instead.  

The whole idea had seemed far-fetched to Kandai, but he was in no position to object.  Besides, he was able to make a few side-deals from the arrangement, and profitable ones at that.  Still, Kandai had been anxious to part ways with Orij and the Tikosi before one of them inevitably betrayed the other.  And while he had no remorse over what they had done to his wife, it still disturbed him to see her laying on an examination table, helplessly trapped in a state of living death.  It had been a grisly business, but if it helped Orij to destroy the “Super Saiyan”, then maybe it would all be worth it.  

Chadder and Zarella had already beggared off while he had been contemplating this.  Kandai wasn’t a particularly powerful Saiyan, but most life forms familiar with his race knew that even a weakling of his kind could kill hundreds of people in the blink of an eye.   Saiyans often had a friendly disposition, but this was borne out of the confidence that most sensible beings would  never dare risk offending one of them.  In an effort to change the subject, Chadder turned on a television monitor that hung over the bar.  He found a news feed and let it play.  

“Local authorities arrived at the festival grounds to find dozens of Saiyans dead or severely injured,” the anchorwoman said evenly.  "Witnesses reported seeing yellow lights from several miles away, while emergency crews report that the surviving Saiyans were rambling about a woman ‘looking for someone’.“

The video changed to show footage of the festival grounds, or what was left of it.  Vedevian authorities crawled around the wreckage, presumably trying to decide how best to clean up the mess.

"While Saiyan injuries are not uncommon on Vedev III, doctors admit that local hospitals are 'ill-prepared’ to cope with so many casualties at once.  Police warn that the Wyvern may have escaped during the chaos, and residents in the surrounding counties are advised to remain indoors until the Wyvern can be accounted for.”

The video returned to the anchor’s calm, professional face, and a image appeared at the top left corner of the screen.  It was an artists’ sketch, depicting a figure in shadow, save for a mane of spiky yellow hair.  A Vedevian question mark was superimposed over the figure’s body to emphasize the ambiguity.  

“Rumors are already swirling that the festival was attacked by the 'Super Saiyan’, a powerful warrior cloaked in mystery,” she explained.   “The Saiyan embassy on Vedev III declined to comment–”

Chadder muted the set and pointed excitedly at the screen.  "There, you see!?“ he asked Zarella.  

"See what?” Zarella asked.

“ _The Super Saiyan’s a broad after all!_ ” Chadder said.  "They said so on the news just now!  'A woman looking for somone’!“

"They said they weren’t sure it was the Super Saiyan who did it,” Zarella argued.

“Aw, who else could ambush a crowd of Saiyans, clobber 'em all, and vanish without a trace?” Chadder said.  He turned to Kandai and offered a sympathetic look.  "I guess it’s a good thing you weren’t there after all, Mr. Kandai, but if Luffa really _is_ hunting down you Saiyans, then you’re probably a _lot_ safer–“

 _"What did you say?”_ Kandai said.  A chill ran down his spine.  

“I said if the Super Saiyan’s going after you people, you’re better off keeping a low profile,” Chadder said.  "Least until you can find a way to–“

"You said 'Luffa’,” Kandai snapped.   _“Where did you hear that name?”_

“That’s her name,” Chadder said.  "Well, some people say she’s named 'Chanisp’ or something like that.  I heard they call her ‘Flamepelt’ on Raxees, but–“

"I’m tellin’ ya,” Zarella insisted.  "Luffa’s a dude.“

They continued to bicker, and Kandai could only sit and stare at nothing.  It couldn’t be a coincidence.  Somehow Orij’s plan had backfired.  The Tikosi must have inflicted so many _Zenkai_ power-ups on his wife that she became too strong for them to subdue.  Or perhaps the Tikosi had deliberately enhanced her body to betray Orij before he could betray them?  It didn’t matter.  In that single moment, Kandai realized that it was all true.  The Super Saiyan really _was_ a Saiyan.  She really _was_ a woman, and she was strong enough to barge into a crowd of normal Saiyans and interrogate them.  

She was his _wife_.  And she was _looking for someone_.  

For a fleeting instant, he salved his fear with the thought that it was Orij that she was after.  The whole thing had been his idea, after all.  But it just didn’t add up.  Luffa didn’t need to look for Orij.  He was living among the Tikosi while they experimented on her.  However she escaped, he would have been the first to die.  And even if Orij _had_ survived somehow, even if she _was_ searching for her father, she might still hunt down Kandai, if only to get a lead.  

But she would want _more_ than that, he told himself.  She would want to know why Kandai had allowed her to suffer.  She would want to know why her own husband had declined to kill her with a measure of honor.  How could she not?  Kandai had asked himself those same questions in his weaker moments.  

He forced himself to think.  She had gone to Vedev III because it was a logical place to look, but he had told a few people of his plans to attend the festival.  Had someone betrayed him, or was it simply a coincidence?  Who else knew he was on this station?  Would she think to search the entire sector for him?  If so, how long would it take her to get here?  What if–?

"Found you!”

He leaped out of his seat and spun around to face the door.  His heart was pounding.  His throat dry with panic.

It was only one of the station engineers, a pudgy chartreuse fellow with smears of grease on his hands, cheeks, and jumpsuit.

“I’ve been looking all over for you, Mr. Kandai!” he said as he walked into the bar.  "I should have known Chadder was talking your ear off!“  

"Look, we bartenders have to do what we can to pass the time,” Chadder teased.  "Now maybe if we made the kind of money you hotshot engineers do, then we could go out and party every night and fool around with all those fat girls like you do!“

"No, no, no,” the engineer said, waving his hands in mock-indignation.  "They pay my ex-wife all that money.  You’ll have to talk to her if you want to know what gets done with it.  I keep taking these deep space assignments but she keeps tracking me down no matter how far I go.  She won’t be satisfied until she bleeds me dry!“

” _What_.  Do.  You.  _Want_ ,“ Kandai said, his voice barely louder than a whisper.  

"You wanted to know as soon as your ship was repaired,” he said.  "We finished about a half-hour ago, but no one could find you.“

"What about the ion storm?” Kandai asked hurriedly.  

“I knew you’d ask about that,” the engineer said proudly.  "So I checked with astronomics.  Cleared up three hours ago.  Station command is clearing all ships for departure.  You can leave as soon as you submit a flight plan.  You know how it goes.  Everybody wants to keep records of all this stuff.“  He chuckled.  "I guess that’s how my ex keeps finding me.”

Kandai stared at the man, and his eyelid began to twitch slightly.

*******

_**[9 August 237 Before Age.  Koste-R]** _

Destroying Mignogna Station had created more problems than it had solved.  Kandai had hoped that it would cover his tracks, but a prominent member of the Camelian royal family had eloped and had been aboard the station with his spouse under fake names.  The resulting investigation implicated Kandai, and now he was being pursued by Camelian authorities, the underwriters who had insured the station, and anyone else interested in the reward for his capture.  Worse, other Saiyans were beginning to take an interest in Kandai, since word had begun to spread that the Super Saiyan was searching for him.

He had gone underground since then.  He cut off his tail and began shaving his head, and assumed a new identity as “Taxber Baffle” on the planet Koste-R.  He had been considering a medical procedure which could permanently alter his skin color and further disguise him, but it wouldn’t be cheap, and there were only so many ways to earn money on Koste-R without revealing his Saiyan strength.  

Normally at this time of night, he would be getting ready to work an extra night shift at his job at the tungsten refinery, but he had been forced to change his plans.  While making love to a Merced woman by the name of Sanfrine, he had accidentally called out Luffa’s name instead of hers.  She was offended, but intrigued enough to wonder who she was.  She teased that she would look her up some time and they could compare notes on how to satisfy him.  And so Kandai was now carrying her headless corpse down a deserted stretch of road.  

About five miles from where he had buried her head, he tossed the body behind a tree, and set to work stripping the flesh from her cold hands.  He was accustomed to slaughtering victims wholesale on the battlefield, but not like this.  This was an intimate sort of murder, one that demanded special care to destroy evidence as inconspicuously as possible.   He had considered stealing a bag of calcium oxide from the storehouse at the refinery.  He’d heard it was an effective way to dispose of a corpse, but he didn’t want to risk the theft being traced back to him.  All he really needed to do was to destroy Sanfrine’s teeth, face, and fingerprints.  That was how the authorities identified bodies on Koste-R.  Genetic tests might give them clues, but there were no records on file to make a comparison.

Kandai wanted to vaporize Sanfrine’s body all at once if that had been an option, but he couldn’t take the chance.  If any _ki_ -sensitive adept happened to notice his actions, it might expose him.  And for all he knew, Luffa herself might happen to be on the planet.  

That awful possibility led him down a desperate train of thought, and in his panic he decided the best course would be to eat the dead woman’s hands.  His Saiyan physiology was sturdy enough for the task, and the fingerprint evidence would be safely eradicated with none the wiser.  No Sanfrine, no evidence, no witnesses, no Luffa.  

No appetite, either.  For once in his life, Kandai found himself reluctant to eat.  But he could see no other way.  And so he crouched in the forest like a ghoul, and just as he finished swallowing the cold skin of the last finger, a horrible thought occurred to him: What about her _feet_?  Did Merced women have toeprints?  Did Koste-R authorities use toeprints to investigate crimes?  Could he dare to take the chance?  

Kandai groaned and began the second course of his grisly meal.  

********

_**[10 August 237 Before Age.  Koste-R]** _

Hours later, Kandai returned to his home and cleaned up.  He wanted nothing more than to go to bed and forget the entire debacle, but he decided to check his computer for messages first.  The Saiyan Consulate had ignored him for weeks, but perhaps today would be the day when they finally responded to his request for assistance.  He slumped in his chair of his sparse apartment and waited for the message program to refresh.

To his surprise he found one new message in his inbox.  It was a video from a ship registry he had never heard of.  Perhaps King Rehval was using intermediaries for security purposes?

The video player opened.  Luffa appeared on the screen.  

“Hello, darling,” she said.  

A familiar dread washed over him.  He was becoming used to the terror, but he gasped at the sight of her nevertheless.

“You probably know about Vedev III by now,” she said.  "Just in case you’re not up to speed, my father told me I could find you there.  So I went there and beat up every Saiyan at the festival.  You weren’t there.  I’m not really surprised.  Father was probably lying, or maybe you changed your plans.  Doesn’t matter.“

He watched her face with a sick fascination.  He had been living in fear of this woman for a month, and every instinct told him to run as far and as fast as he could.  But something forced him to sit and watch.  She was the same starry-eyed girl he had married, the one who cooked dinosaur ribs for him and laughed at his bad jokes and curled his chest-hair around her fingers as they lay together in bed.  

But she had been irrevocably changed as well.  There were dark circles under her eyes now.  She reminded him a lot of her father, and that ruthless grimace he would make whenever he was about to exploit some advantage.  Except it had never been personal with Orij.  Luffa’s face was calm and collected, but there was an intense rage burning beneath her expression, and Kandai knew it was directed towards him.  

"Let me break it down for you, Kandai,” she said.  "Father’s dead.  You know that Super Saiyan everyone talks about lately?   _That’s me_.  I transformed into _that thing_ and I _killed him_.  He used to be stronger than either of us, and I slaughtered him as easily as I’m talking to you right now.   I’ve been doing some odd jobs on the side, trying to get a handle on my powers.  Trying to decide what to do about _you_.“

She looked to one side, and leaned back in her chair, as though uncertain about what to say next.  "I’m a legend now.  Like Old Darbock and Chanisp and the rest.  I wasn’t sure how to deal with that, until this guy I met said I should think about what kind of story I’d want them to tell about me.  So I thought about it and made some plans.  Then I realized it might take me a while, and that I should really settle things with you first.  Because whatever my legacy is, _letting you live won’t be a part of it._ ”

He began to think about the refinery, and mentally calculated how much cash they might have in the payroll vault.  If he robbed them tonight, he could arrange to have his skin recolored in a matter of days, and then–

“So I did some checking,” Luffa continued.  "I found out you threw in with King Revahl right around the time you…“  She set her jaw and shut her eyes tightly.  "Well,” she finally said.  "We both know _what you did_.  We both know _I’m going to kill you for it_.  And if Revahl had anything to do with it, I’ll go to Planet Saiya and I will kill _him too_.  You tell him I said so, Kandai.   _Tell him_.“

Kandai felt a dark, heavy weight in the pit of his stomach.  Of course she knew.  He hadn’t bothered to cover his tracks because he had expected her to die in captivity.  But she had lived, and discovered his ties to the Crown, and suddenly it was _no wonder_ that Planet Saiya wasn’t returning his calls.  He had nothing to offer King Revahl now but his wife’s wrath.  Chances were that the king had his own agents hunting for Kandai just to tie up any loose ends.  

"I guess this is where I’m supposed to be all bitter and say I never loved you, or that I was faking it the whole time,” Luffa said.  "The truth is, I’d rather give you a sporting chance, Kandai, for old times’ sake.  It was more than you and dad gave me.  Maybe I’ve spent too much time around all these aliens.  The problem is I’m just too strong for a fair fight.  You’d never catch up to what _I’ve become_.  I guess you could recruit some mercenaries to even the odds, but I’ve been tearing through whole armies lately.  You couldn’t afford that kind of backup.   Besides, who’d lift a finger to protect _you_?“  

A mischievous smile crossed her face.  "You know, I just thought of something!  You could have gone to the Tikosi and had them to do to _you_ what they did to _me_.  Boy, that would have been _perfect_ , right?  You’d have to suffer through what I went through, so I’d get my revenge no matter what.  And then we could settle things like Saiyans, in a fair fight.  And just think!  If you actually managed to _win_ , then _you_ could be the Legendary Super Saiyan.  I guess they’d have to file down the boobs on my action figure, but otherwise you could just pick up where I left off.”

For a fleeting moment, Kandai wondered if this was a serious suggestion, and then the smile faded and she stared blankly at him.  Her expression became so cold and so grave that he almost couldn’t recognize her.   He could hardly stand to look at her.  

“But the Tikosi won’t be doing anything like that _ever again_ ,” she snarled.  "I… I’ve _seen_ to _that_.“  Something in her voice made him suspect that even _she_ was disturbed by whatever she had done to the Tikosi.  He noticed her hands trembling on the armrests of her chair.  In spite of her threats, in spite of his horror, something inside him wished he could reach out across time and space and steady those little hands in his own, they way he used to do.  But it was far too late for that.  

"I’ll just have to hunt you down like a dog, Kandai,” she said, shaking her head slowly.  "That’s the only way, unless you’d rather give yourself up or seek out some painless form of suicide.  It’s your choice, but that’s all the mercy you’ll get from me.  See you soon.“

The video abruptly went to black, and Kandai was startled enough to nearly jump out of his seat.  All he could think about was the skin recoloration procedure.  If he could just get enough money together, find a doctor… He could make a few more relocations, maybe find an outpost on a remote asteroid and then just wait for the trail to get cold…

No.  

Luffa was right.  Facing her was the only mercy he would ever receive. He could run, he could hide, he could kill himself to deny her the satisfaction, but he would be utterly destroyed in any case.  He had survived this long, but only by becoming "Taxber Baffle”, a hairless, tail-less laborer too frightened to use his own strength.  The lust for battle that once burned in his Saiyan veins had been snuffed out by his disguise.  The closest thing he had seen to combat was a series of cold-blooded murders committed to cover his trail.  He had survived, but only to endure a pathetic, shameful existence.  He suddenly remembered the sight of Luffa languishing on a Tikosi examination table, unable to lift her head.  Without even meaning to, he had embraced the sort of living death that had been forced upon her.    

Perhaps facing Luffa wasn’t the worst case scenario anymore.  But if the battle was inevitable, he would do it on _his_ terms, not hers.  He would find a way to prevail.  He didn’t know how, but he would.  He had no other choice.  

He could still taste Sanfrine’s putrefying flesh on his breath. Kandai swallowed hard and tried to focus on his future victory.  With considerable concentration, he could almost force himself to believe it was possible.

**NEXT: Pax Luffae**


	23. Chapter 23

> _**[Ides of Ninthmoon, 40 Years After the Great Lupine War.  Planet Voreth.]** _
> 
> _Luffa sighed as  she sank into the vice-like embrace of Sergio Blackthorne.  As she began to calm down, his pulse thundered with the thrill of holding his beloved so closely, and soon their hearts were synchronized to one another._
> 
> _“Now you know,” she whispered.  Her normally alabaster skin was pink from exertion, nearly enough to obscure the freckles on her nose and cheeks.  "Ever since I participated in the Infinite Velocity Starship Experiment, I was hyper-evolved, and now I can transform into what my people will look like millions of years from now.“_
> 
> _Sergio said nothing, and simply allowed the dark stubble on his chin bristle against Luffa’s forehead._
> 
> _"My race are werewolves like yours, but in the future, the Saiyans  will become like angels!  Oh, Sergio, if Baron Volpturi finds out, he’ll expel me from the Laser Knight Academy!”_
> 
> _She began to panic, and her breasts pressed up against his bare chest.  She was trapped in a snare of emotions.  On the one hand, she longed for this moment to last forever, and he could hold her in silence for all eternity, allowing the universe around them to fall away.  On the other hand, she desperately longed for his approval.  She needed him to speak, to offer guidance, and to tell her that he still loved her in spite of what she had become.  Each moment of silence was like heaven, but was also like a poison knife twisting in her heart._
> 
> _“You have nothing to be ashamed of, Star-Wolf,” he growled as he looked into the inky black depths of the dark pools of her eyes.  "If the Laser Knights will not embrace your gifts, then they will be welcome within my pack, within the Darkfold.“_
> 
> _She was stunned.  He had invited her into his pack!  To be his mate!  To nurse his young!  To hunt at his side!  And yet… "But Sergio, the Darkfold plots to destroy the Sacred Kingdom.  You yourself have said–”_
> 
> _“I know what I have said,” Sergio grumbled as he bared his gleaming white teeth.  "But perhaps it must not be so after all.  Your love has given me cause to reconsider.  Perhaps the Darkfold path must not lead to destruction after all.“_

*******

* * *

_**[2 November 237 Before Age.  Interstellar Space.]** _

"Yeeecccchhh,” Luffa said.  She was chopping vegetables in the galley of her ship, and the vessel’s service robot was reading aloud to her while she worked.

“Are you dissatisfied with the selection, Mistress?” the robot asked evenly.

“Why would a werewolf be a test pilot, PB-2?” she asked.  "Do people on Voreth not know what a Saiyan _is_?  And why am I constantly seeking validation from all these men?“

"I believe this is what is known as ‘artistic license’,” the robot said after a brief pause.  "Deliberately distorting fact for the sake of aesthetics.“

"Okay, fine, but why would any humanoid think wolves are attractive?  I turn into a giant ape, and yeah, it’s not exactly… _amorous_.  How is a wolf any better?  At least an ape can beat up a wolf in a fight.”

“I am not programmed to formulate a response, Mistress,” PB-2 replied.

“How many of these stories did Keda have you download, anyway?” Luffa asked.  

“Two hundred ninety-seven,” PB-2 said.  

“But I was only on Voreth for a couple of hours,” Luffa said.  "And that fight with the Sliggoth only took me about twenty seconds.“

"Another cause for the use of artistic license, Mistress,” PB-2 suggested.  "The embellishments are utterly false, but the factual account is simply insufficient.“

"Yeah, but who has time for this sort of nonsense?” Luffa wondered.  "I mean, what kind of loser sees a few seconds of footage, and invents such an elaborate backstory to explain it all?  He doesn’t know a thing about me, so he has to make up a ridiculous origin, give me silly powers and love interests, a career in the 'Laser Knight Academy’, whatever that’s supposed to be.  Why bother?“

"Again, I am not programmed to formulate a response,” PB-2 said.  "However, the author did provide contact information, and encouraged reader feedback.  If you would like, I can forward your comments and questions to–“

She held up her hand to cut the robot off.  "Forget it,” she said.  "Heh.  Royan was right.  These people see me as a Super Saiyan and all they take away is the visual.  I’m like… like a topping.  They put a little whipped cream or soy sauce on their hopes and dreams to make them bigger and better.  Super Saiyan athletes, Super Saiyan romance heroines.  Meanwhile the _real_ Super Saiyan is some dumbass slaving over a hot stove.“

"Shall I continue?” PB-2 asked.

“Nah, but save that one and we’ll come back to it later.  Sergio’s got a nice butt, at least.  Find me something else for now.  Something where I kill a lot of people.”

PB-2 paused as it reviewed its database, then began reciting another story: _“There was a rock that since the creation of the world had been worked upon by the pure essence of heaven and fine savours of Earth, the vigour of sunshine and the grace of moonlight, till at last it became magically pregnant and one day split open, giving birth to a stone egg, about as big as a playing ball.  Fructified by the wind, it developed into a stone monkey, complete with every organ and limb.”_

“Borrrring,” Luffa said.

_“Ebony Dark’ness Dementia Raven Way walked purposely down–”_

“Next!”

_“In a hole in the ground there lived a Saiyan.”_

“Nope.”

_“Clothes soaked in blood, Luffa stood in the center of a room full of corpses.  They had all sworn to fight to the last man, and they had made good on their oath.”_

“Yeah, here we go!” Luffa said.

_“'That’s what happens to you weaklings when you challenge a Super Saiyan,’ he said.   He went to a nearby restroom to clean up.  After making use of a urinal, he–”_

Luffa made a long frustrated groan.

*******

* * *

“A pleasure as always, Ms. Keda, but I don’t understand why I cannot speak with her directly.”

On the bridge of Luffa’s ship, Keda sat in the captain’s chair and  regarded Miggerus Janso on the viewscreen.  She had spoken with him many times, but this was the first time that he had ever been even slightly annoyed.  Normally he was very calm and self-assured, as though he were prepared for anything.  This time he was merely perplexed, but it was the most uncomfortable she had ever seen him.

The Dorlun girl glanced down at a computer readout of ship’s systems and looked back to him.  "Luffa’s hosting a conference on board,“ she explained.  "I thought we filled you in on that last week, Mr. Janso.”

“Yes, yes, but what about the Goldwall contract?” he protested.  "I cannot put the matter off for much longer.  If she doesn’t commit to the job–“

"Then the client may have to find another mercenary,” Keda said.  "Luffa can’t take every offer that comes your way.  Ever since that movie about her came out, it’s all I can do to sort serious business requests from fan mail.  You were the one who said we’d have to set priorities.“

Janso rolled his eyes and ran his fingers across the metal helmet that sat on his desk.  Keda had seen him carry it around with him, along with the jetpack he wore over his business attire, but she had never seen him use any of it.

"You ladies would be giving up a fortune–” he started to say.  "No, I can hear her now.  'We’ve got plenty of money already, _Mig_.  I’m only in this business for the sport, _Mig_.’“

Keda smiled.  "That does sound like her,” she said.

“I do dislike when she calls me that,” Janso sighed.

“Should I pass that along to her?” Keda teased.

“ _No_ , no!  No.  It’s a trifling matter.  The Goldwall contract is not, however.  Ms. Luffa does understand that the conflict would make for a significant physical challenge, yes?  Perhaps worthy of a Super Saiyan, though I could only guess on such matters.”

“She was impressed, Mr. Janso,” Keda said.  "But it’s six weeks away from our current position, and we’ve got business to wrap up here.  Goldwall will still be there when we get around to it.  Maybe next year.“

"Next _year_?” Janso stammered.  "That simply won’t…. simply won’t…. uggh.“

"What’s wrong?” Keda said.  He had been addled from the moment she answered his call, but now he looked more confused than ever.“

"May I ask a personal question?” he said.

“Uh, okay,” Keda said.

“Why are you _orange_?”

For a split second Keda didn’t understand the question, and then it hit her.  "Oh, my skin!“ she said.  She held up her hand to show it off.”

“When we met on Bigreen it was a rather pleasing shade of blue,” Janso said.

“I’m a shapeshifter, Mr. Janso,” Keda explained.  "I’ve been practicing some new things.  I’m trying to see how long I can hold this color.“  She glanced down at the chromometer display on the captain’s chair.  "Eight days so far,” she added proudly.

“Yes, congratulations,” Janso grumbled.  "Must it be such a vivid _shade_ of orange?“

"It’s a good color for survival situations,” Keda explained.  "If I get lost in the wilderness on some planet, a search party’s more likely to spot me if I look like this.  I can’t glow in the dark like Luffa, but it’s the next best thing.“

"Ms. Keda you live on a spaceship.  Why would you expect to get lost in the wilderness?” Janso asked.

“The same reason you wear that jetpack over your suit, Mr. Janso,” Keda observed.  "I’ve never seen you use it, so I assume you’re conserving fuel.  Just in case.“

"Hmm,” Janso said, arching his eyebrow.  "Perhaps we’re not so different after all.  Maybe I was a Dorlun in a past life.“

"I’ll tell Luffa you called, but she’s the boss,” Keda said.  "It’s her call.“

"Yes, but _I_ arrange the contracts,” Janso argued.  "It’s customary for–“

"If you really were a Dorlun in a former life, Mr. Janso,” Keda said, “then you’d remember one of our old proverbs.  Where does an 800-pound gorilla sleep?”

“I… I don’t follow you?”

“Anywhere she _wants_ , Mr. Janso,” Keda finished. “Keda out.”

*******

* * *

Since taking possession of the Plutarkian star-yacht, Luffa had gradually re-purposed it into a more utilitarian vessel.  A guest cabin had been gutted to make room for a torpedo bay, and a fine art gallery had been remodeled into a gymnasium.  However, the vessel contained far more rooms than its two occupants would ever need, and they were in no great hurry to dismantle every deck.  So most of the ship remained a pleasure craft, in appearance if not in purpose.  

Most sentient beings might have taken advantage of having the opulent surroundings all to themselves, but the present occupants were rustic and unaccustomed to luxury.  Luffa frequently slept in the gym, while Keda practically lived on the bridge.  In the meantime, the former owner’s spacious master bedroom went utterly ignored.  Every bathroom on board featured gold-plated faucets and waterfall-style showerheads, but the extravagance was lost on Luffa and Keda, who were simply grateful to have access to indoor plumbing of any sort.  And so the luxuries they didn’t bother to remove were fully available to guests, such as the dignitaries awaiting Luffa in the lavish dining hall.  

Luffa emerged from the galley with a rolling cart, which she maneuvered around the solid marble table as she served each guest.  Finally she set her own place at the head of the table, and laid a basket of rolls in the center.  PB-2 puttered around as well, offering beverages.  

“There’s plenty more where this came from,” she said as she took her seat, “so if you want seconds, feel free to ask.  It’s been a while since I cooked for this many people, and I never was any good at estimating portion sizes for non-Saiyans.”

Tik-Tak, a crustacean-looking fellow dressed in orange finery, accepted a bottle of wine from the robot and began filling his own glass.  "You honor us with this meal, Madam Saiyan,“ he said.  

Luffa was already gobbling down the contents of her own plate, and so she simply gave a thumbs-up in response.  

"I was wondering,” said Ryba Booth, a brown male humanoid in a crimson military uniform.  "Will Rax Cosmo be joining us this evening?“

Luffa gave him a puzzled look, and her third guest howled with laughter.   She was Drang Dedruhn, a rotund cresture with smooth, shiny skin that was black on the back, white in the front.  The sequins of her blue gown rippled and played with the light as she chortled.  She smiled mischeviously as Booth, then back at Luffa, revealing a row of peg-like teeth.  

"Rax Cosmo,” she explained, savoring every syllable, “was your love interest in that movie they made.  I’m afraid Marshall Booth believed it was a documentary.”

“Oh, the movie,” Luffa said between bites.  "I think I may have his action figure somewhere on board.  Ah… Keda collects them.“

"Well how was I to know he was fictional?” Booth said, his face tightening with embarrassment.  

“Come now, Marshall,” Drang teased.  "You’ve met Luffa before.  Does she really look _anything_ like that waifish Cytrogen girl they cast to play her?  Why, the actress is at least a foot taller than Luffa, and as pale as a sheet!  What makes you think they got anything _else_ right?“

"But you _do_ use the Vengeance Cannon, don’t you?” Tik-Tak asked.  

“The what?” Luffa asked.  

“Beggin’ your pardon,” said the fourth guest, a ruddy-skinned, white-haired man in pink overalls, “but I didn’t come here to shoot the breeze over that debacle of a movie.  The genuine Luffa is of far greater concern to me, and I for one would like to know why she invited us all to her ship.”

“Right to the point, Prester Ganzut,” Luffa said.  "I always liked that about you.“

He shrugged.  "No offense intended, of course.  You’ve put together a fine little dinner for us, darlin’, but Harvest Moon is only a few weeks away and I think it’d be best if you’d come out with it so I can tend to my fields.”

Luffa had already finished her meal, and so she picked up a bone from her spare ribs and began chewing on it.  "Well, if that’s okay with the rest of you.  I’m not good at the diplomacy thing, but there’s an old Saiyan proverb about eating before a negotiation.  The short version is this: I want to form an alliance.“

"Against whom?” Tik-Tak asked.  

“Nobody,” Luffa said. “That’s the point.”

“That makes no sense,” Booth grumbled.  

“Hear me out,” Luffa said.  "The four planets you each lead are the great powers in this region of space: Kepoy, Woshad, Despye and Shafulb.  You’ve been fighting wars against the neighboring star systems and each other for the last two hundred years.  I’ve gotten a lot of business in this sector thanks to you.“

"And you’ve made a comfortable living from our wars, no doubt,” Booth observed

“ _Too_ comfortable, Marshall.  I have enough money to cover my expenses for the next few years.  Even if I didn’t, I could strip the gold foil off the walls of this bucket and sell it.  Hell, I could convert all this into a cruise liner and book passengers.  I’m not in it for the money.”

“ _Ha!_ ” Drang scoffed. “That’s pretty rich coming from a mercenary!  Even _I’d_ have a hard time swallowing that one, dear.”

Luffa leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms.  She leered at Drang like a tiger sizing up its prey.  "I’m a Saiyan, your eminence.  Mercenary work is just a means to and end for my race.  Instead of wasting time looking for a good fight, I can count on beings like you to find one for me.“

She made an evil smile as she said this, and there came a very audible gulp from Drang’s voluminous throat.

"Then what’s all this talk of an alliance?” Tik-Tak asked.  "I should think the current balance of power in the region would offer you enough war to last you a lifetime.“

"War!” Luffa mocked.  "That’s what _you_ call it.  Set-piece battles.    Proxy conflicts.  Sieges.  I call it _babysitting_ , and I’m bored with it.“

"But…. but I submitted a contract to your people just last week,” Booth said.  "My troops are spread too thinly along the…“  He suddenly realized there were three political rivals in the room with him, and he quickly changed his tune into something more confident.  "Yes, well, I was counting on you for logistical support.”

“With all due respect, Marshall,” Luffa said, “what you mean is you need me to cover one front single-handedly so you can commit your own forces to achieve some other strategic objective.  I’m sharper than I look, so don’t let the cocktail dress fool you.  Keda just thought I should wear something nice for dinner.  I know how you fight, Marshall.  It’s effective, even brilliant most of the time, but you focus on maintaining the status quo, grabbing just enough territory or concessions to make it worthwhile.  I guess if I were you I’d do the same, but I’m _not_ you and _I_ find it dull.”

“Well now suppose you tell us what you’d fancy instead,” Prester Ganzut said.  "If our Stately Quadrile isn’t to your liking, why haven’t you moved on yet?  Why stay and push for an alliance?“

"Because I don’t see anything better coming along, to be honest,” Luffa said.  "My contact keeps trying to get me to take on jobs I’ve already turned down.  Some fatcat investor wants me to track down his wife and read her mind to see if she’s been cheating on him.  There’s a Luffa impostor on Thrull, but I’m pretty sure she’s an actress looking for publicity.  Not worth my time.  Oh, and Planet Toptin wants me to 'defend’ their summer festival from space pirates.  I offered to take the fight to the pirates directly, but they wanted me be on one of the parade floats 'just in case’.“

PB-2 wheeled around the table and offered her another bottle of ale.  She tore off the cap and began drinking straight out of it.  At last she set it on the table and continued.

"There is one thing that might satisfy me, and that would be challenging all four of your worlds at the same time.”  She paused to let that sink in, and made a satisfied chuckle when her guests began to look uncomfortable.  "Not to worry, that’s not what I have in mind.  I’d only enjoy it if your peoples all truly worked together, and pitted all your resources against me.  But you wouldn’t do that.  At least some of you would try to find some way to turn the situation to your advantage.  You know, undermine the others so your planet comes out on top when the dust settles.  I’d win either way, though.“

” _All four of us_?“ Ganzut asked.  His throat was dry from anxiety, and PB-2, perhaps sensing this somehow, wheeled to his side of the table to offer him a refill on his drink.”

“Well, I don’t mean to brag,” Luffa said.  "I wouldn’t know for sure until I’d done it, and anybody can have an off day, but it’d be a costly battle for you guys, no matter what.  And _that’s_ what got me thinking about this alliance.  You see–“

PB-2 wheeled over to her and a light on its head began to blink.  Luffa looked at it curiously and then her eyes widened.  "Oh crap, the _muffins._  I’ll be right back!”

Before anyone could react she had dashed out of her chair and back into the galley.

*******

* * *

The galley was more spacious than a lot of kitchens, but Keda’s orange skin would have been hard to miss no matter what.  Luffa hurried inside to find the Dorlun child preparing a smoothie.

“How’s it going in there?” Keda asked.

“Not bad,” Luffa said.  "I definitely have their attention, anyway.  Now I just have to let them simmer for a while.“

"Wait, why are you wearing your combat boots?” Keda asked.

“They fit,” Luffa said.

“But they don’t go with the dress!” Keda protested.  "What happened to the shoes I picked out for you?“

"I don’t know,” Luffa said.  "They’re probably in the gym.  What difference does it make which shoes I wear?“

"Luffa, it’s a _formal_ dinner, I know you don’t care, but other people _do_ , and you have to make an impression.  You can’t go around in bloodstained training sweats all the time.  And you can’t just wear _any_ shoes with that dress.  It makes you look funny.”

Luffa shook her head.  "You’re one to talk.  You look like a talking tangerine when you’re that color.  How long has it been?  A week?“

"Eight days,” Keda said proudly.

“No kidding?  Good job, kid.  Keep it up,” Luffa said.  She stomped over to the refrigerator and pulled out a carton of eggs.  "Anyway, I may not be the classiest person in the galaxy, but I don’t think I need fashion advice from a nine-year-old.“

"I’m ten,” Keda insisted.

Luffa harrumphed and found a large stein from a cupboard.  She began cracking eggs on the rim and letting the yolks drain in.

“What makes you an expert anyway?”  Luffa asked.  "I bet if I looked hard enough, I could find a planet where it’s trendy to wear black combat boots with yellow dresses.  Or I could just _make_ it trendy.  I’m a celebrity, you know.“

"You didn’t even shave your legs,” Keda groaned.

“What?  Is that some 'Saiyan’ ritual they made up for that stupid movie?” Luffa asked.  She cracked another egg and set the shell on the counter in a pile.

“Never mind,” Keda said.  "The point is I’ve been researching these things to help me be a better shape-shifter.  It doesn’t do me any good to be able to mimic other people if I don’t know how other people normally look.  If I just made random attire for myself, I’d only be more conspicuous.“

"Well, us Super Saiyans just have to get used to being conspicuous,” Luffa said. By now her stein was more than half full with egg yolks.  "I bet you Old Darbock wouldn’t be caught dead shaving _his_ legs–“

"Um, by the way, Miggerus Janso called earlier,” Keda said.

“Yeah?  What’d he want?” Luffa asked.

“Three guesses,” Keda said.

“Not this Goldwall business _again_!” Luffa growled.  "That insufferable twit just never gives up, does he?“  She spun around and gestured with her left hand, which still held an egg.  "Can’t he understand that I’ve got something more interesting going on right now?  I can’t traipse off to Goldwall to put down some silly rebellion or whatever it is.”

“I told him that,” Keda said with a shrug.  "He wants to hear it from you for some reason.“

"Oh, he’ll _hear_ from me all right,” Luffa groused.  Suddenly the egg in her hand began to quiver all on its own, and Luffa stared at it in shocked fascination.  At last, a small yellow bird broke out of the shell, and it cheeped and waved its tiny wings.

Luffa rolled her eyes and stuffed the bird into her mouth.

“Just what _are_ we up to around here?” Keda asked.  She turned away and pretended to be interested in her smoothie while Luffa chewed the live animal.  "From what I can tell, you’re trying to stage peace talks or something.“

"You’ll see,” Luffa mumbled.  At last she swallowed, then downed the entire stein of egg yolks.  When she finished, she wiped off her mouth with her bare hand, and then wiped her hand on the front of her dress.  If she noticed Keda’s disappointed sigh, she ignored it.  She walked past the stove and found a large red button mounted on the wall.  She pressed it with her fist and watched a small platform on the countertop.  A second later, a muffin appeared from out of thin air, as warm and fresh as if it had come from the oven.  Satisfied, Luffa moved it aside and pressed the button a few more times.

“Okay, I’ve let them sweat it out long enough,” Luffa said.  She put the muffins on a tray and made her way to the door.  "Back to business.“

*******

When she returned to the dining hall, she found the four of them talking excitedly amongst themselves.  When they noticed Luffa’s approach, they fell into an uncomfortable silence.

"Dessert!” Luffa announced.  She began serving muffins to each of her guests.  "I was afraid they’d been in too long, but actually they needed a few more minutes.  The oven in the galley is a little quirky.  I’m betting the previous owner had platinum wiring put in just because he could afford it. Anyway, where were we?“

"You were threatening to subjugate us by force,” Tik-Tak said evenly.  "My counterparts and I talked it over, and we agree with your tactical assessment.“

"Fighting you would be hopeless,” Booth said.  "Even if we worked together, it would only delay the inevitable.  I suppose that might _amuse you_ for a time, but it would devastate our respective worlds.“

"Even if we could win,” Ganzut muttered.  "We’d have to pull together to rebuild.“  He pointed at Booth.  "I’ve got no truck with Woshad’s military dictatorship, but I’d need their corps of engineers to repair the irritation canals on Despey.  And I’m betting Shafulb would need our potassium minerals to get their algae farms back in gear.”

Drang swallowed her muffin whole and cackled with laughter.  "So I guess we’ll have to work together.  We can do it because you ask us to, or because you force us to, or we’ll have to do it to rebuild after we resist you.  It’s all the same in the end.“

Luffa leaned back in her seat, crossed her arms, and smiled triumphantly.  "Okay.  This is good.  I wasn’t sure if all of you would accept the situation.  That’ll make this a lot easier.”

“Make _what_ easier?” Booth demanded.  "You seem determined to put me in bed with this theocratic harridan–“  He pointed his thumb at Drang, who chortled with glee.  "The least you could do is tell us why!”

“I’m glad you asked,” Luffa said.  "See, I was thinking about conquering your four worlds, but I couldn’t help but wonder what good it would do me?  A few days of fun, sure, but it would take you years to recover.  It might take decades if you continued to undermine each other’s progress.  And then your enemies from other sectors would try to exploit the situation, and you’d have to hire mercenaries to protect you.“

"Mercenaries like you?” Tik-Tak asked.

“Maybe.  Only the fight would be even crappier than the action I get from you now.  Your enemies would need a weaker force to invade you, because you’d be weaker.  So defending you then would be even more boring than what I’m currently doing for you.   Of course, I could just leave and forget about this sector, but where would I go?  If I knew where to find better competition, I’d be there already.”

Tik-Tak began cutting his muffin into slices with his silverware.  "But how will an alliance change your situation?“

"If nothing else, it frees me up to find new battles to fight,” Luffa explained.  "And it makes me a lot easier to find.  So if there’s some hotshot out there who wants to throw hands with the Super Saiyan, he knows to come here.  And it raises the bar.  That hotshot looking to fight me has to look at all four of your armies and ask himself if _he_ could beat you as easily as I could.  You’d be surprised how many weaklings think they can take me down just because I’m a woman.  Kind of sad, really.“

” _I’m_ not surprised,“ Drang said with a laugh.  "But let’s say we go along with your idea, dearie.  What are _we_ supposed to do while you wait for a worthy adversary?”

“For the most part, you keep doing what you’ve been doing,” Luffa said.  "You expand your influence, grow your economies, develop your societies.  But you work _together_.  No more wars between us.  If there’s a dispute, you settle it peacefully, or you take it up with me.“  She held up her hands and began cracking her knuckles.  "You probably won’t _like_ how I settle disputes, but that’s your call.”

“What about the neighboring powers?” Booth asked.  "Surely you don’t expect me to dismantle Woshad’s entire military–“

"Of course not,” Luffa said.  "I’m a woman of war, Marshall.  I wouldn’t dream of demilitarizing anyone.  Sooner or later I’ll die in battle, or maybe my Super Saiyan powers will put too much strain on my body.  When that happens, you’re gonna need those armies to fill the void.  But in the meantime, you can take the time to build a smarter, more efficient army, one that’ll be ready for the future.“

"Penticede IV won’t like this one bit,” Ganzut muttered.  "If we do this, and it looks like we will, it’ll change the balance of power across three sectors.  "They’ll try to intervene.“

"Will they?” Tik-Tak asked.  "When they see Luffa backed by our combined forces, they’ll think twice about meddling in our affairs, I should imagine.“

"They might even offer to join us,” Luffa suggested.  

“Now that _is_ a good one!” Drang shouted.  "Wait, you aren’t kidding, are you?  Just how big an alliance were you planning to make here?“

Luffa raised her finger to answer, but then she stopped short and began pounding on her chest and coughing.  At last she stopped, and on her last cough a small yellow feather flew out of her mouth.  She sighed with relief as it drifted slowly onto the table.  

"Excuse me,” Luffa said. Her guests looked at the feather, then back at her, but she paid no attention.  "As I was about to say, I think we can welcome as many worlds to the alliance as we want.  We’re all civilized beings here, aren’t we?“

**NEXT: Hail to the Federatrix**


	24. Chapter 24

_**[10 April, 236 Before Age.  Kaloon.]** _

“Behold!  The mighty Federatrix!  Defender of a dozen worlds!  Pray arise, war-mistress, for I do not think thy fearsome reputation is well-served by such a prone position.  Shall it be said that Red Ravager hath laid low the dread Super Saiyan?  Aye, perhaps so.  And perhaps they shall say a good deal more in my favor.”

The man wore red.  His over-knee boots, the sash that hung around his waist, the wide brimmed hat tilted slightly upon his head.  The rest of his costume was white, and the puffed sleeves and chest of his shirt made him look somewhat like a tropical bird.  The large plume of feathers sticking out of his hat only heightened the image.  As he sauntered across the battlefield, he waved around the hilt of a sword in his hand.  Crimson energy crackled and rippled from the end, forming a ghostly imitation of a blade.  

All around, the people of Planet Kaloon watched with terror.  As was their custom, their faces were painted in a variety of colors, with special characters and patterns to indicate their social status and family history.  Their champion had adopted the custom for this battle, perhaps in a show of solidarity, or possibly to satisfy a fleeting whim.  Her ignorance of their ways was unimportant.  She had fought and bled for Kaloon, asking nothing in return but food and drink.  The old men in the crowd wept bitter tears, just as they would have done for any native Kaloon warrior laid low.

“Ah, be stout of heart, good Kalooni!” Red Ravager taunted.  "For thy heroine has surely met a noble end.  'Tis a long list of those who shed their lifeblood ‘pon my scarlet sabre, but there is surely no more honorable course.  But hold!  As I approach this saffron-clad warrior, I see now that her countenance has been marked in the Kaloon tradition.  How very touching!  And so, 'ere I strike the final blow, I would read aloud the name of this legendary savage who gave me such a spirited contest.“

He stood over her and bent down to examine her face.  "It says,” he announced in a voice loud enough for all to hear, “'If you can read this… you… lose’?”

Before he could react, her eyes snapped open and she had grabbed the back of his head with both hands.  Her right leg swung around and over his left arm, and she locked her shin between the arm and Red Ravager’s throat.  Her left leg then came up and over the Ravager’s right shoulder.  In the blink of an eye he was down on the ground, hopelessly trapped in a choke-hold.  His legs and right arm were still free, but and any move he made only made things worse.  His left arm was draped uselessly over her clavicle.  He simply lacked the leverage to do anything with it.  

“Th-thou has… tricked me!” he gasped as he struggled against the hold.  "Mine… speed and… teleportation… was too much…. for thee… so thou played dead…. to lure me in…!  B-but… know that Red R-ravager… will not… b-be–“

She made an awful sound, and her body glowed as she pulled his head down to force his neck into her boot.  The Red Ravager tried to use his sword, only to find that he no longer held it.  His eyes darted to his right to find it laying on the ground just inches out of his reach.   In his shock, he must have dropped it.  

He tried to speak, but found he couldn’t.  He couldn’t even breathe.  All he managed was to cough up blood, which landed on his tormentor’s face.  Her bright green eyes never looked away from his, as though she didn’t want to miss the moment when the life drained from his face.  He watched in horror as her tongue slipped out from her smiling lips and licked whatever of his blood it could reach.  

At last, he slipped into unconsciousness, and only then was he permitted to draw breath.  

*******

"Artificial ki emitters,” Luffa said slowly.  "Interesting.“

"Yes it is.  Now hold still.  The silks will close the wound, but they need time for the adhesives to bond with the flesh.”

Had anyone entered this particular room in the Kaloon infirmary, they would have found a giant spider-like creature applying webbing to a young woman’s torso, and perhaps concluded that it was some eldritch monstrosity preparing her for a future meal.  In fact, the woman was quite possibly the strongest mortal in the universe, and the spider was a medical doctor, here by her invitation.  

“Hmph,” Dr. Topsas muttered.  "For a legendary warrior and a diplomatic mastermind, one would think you could manage to avoid  so many lacerations.  What was it they called you?“

"Federatrix, doc,” Luffa said.  "The heads of state of the Member Worlds invented the title.  "Empress" sent the wrong message.  I’m not out to rule these planets, I just want them to work together under my protection.  And since I’m forcing them to form a federation, that makes me a Federatrix.“  

"You still look like a reckless little mammal to me,” Dr. Topsas said.  "But I forget my manners.  ’ _Legendary Super_ little mammal,’ was what I meant to say.  Was it really necessary to let that man strike so many blows with that energy sword of his?“

"He was a tricky son of a gun,” Luffa explained.  "I don’t think he was actually as quick as me, but the way he kept vanishing and casting illusions, it sure was hard to tell.  He may have had a short-range teleportation device on him.  I had to sucker him in where I could grab hold of him, and the only way to do that was to make him think he’d beaten me.  And the only way to do that…“

"Yes, but was there truly no other way?” Topsas asked.

“Oh, I could have beaten him from a safe distance,” Luffa admitted, “but I would have probably vaporized him in the process.  This way, I get to find out about the artificial ki emitters he was using to augment his powers.  Maybe I could give them so someone more competent at fighting.”  She grinned excitedly.  "In the right hands, they could actually be dangerous.“

"I’ll see if I can arrange for you to speak with Mr. Ravager once his trachea is fully recovered,” Topsas said.  As for you, I believe I’m finished.  You may get dressed.“

She hopped off the examination table and grabbed a yellow shirt off the back of a chair.  Once she had slipped it on, her bandages were completely obscured.  The only sign that she had even been in a fight was a small bruise on her left cheek.  "Great.  I have to meet with the Kaloon exarch, but that’s not for another four hours.  You want to get some lunch?”

“Yes, that _would_ cover all the bases,” Topsas grumbled.  "Fighting, stitches, and eating.  Ah for the uncomplicated life of a Saiyan.“

"What, you genius doctor types swore off food for some reason?” Luffa asked.   “Does it help you with all that navel-gazing contemplation you want everyone else to do?”

“You’ve been through a profound trauma, and I don’t think you’ve taken the time to truly work through it,” Topsas said.  "This 'Federation’ scheme of yours is simply another way to distract yourself.“

They left the examination room and exited the infirmary.  There was a hint of a breeze in the summer air as they made their way down the sidewalk.  

"Don’t you get hot in those sweaters you wear all the time?” Luffa asked.  

“My body doesn’t regulate heat the same way you do, little mammal,” Topsas said.  "Sweaters are dignified, and they flatter my forelimbs.  Apparently they also provide you a flimsy excuse to try to change the subject.  Are you getting enough sleep?“

"I’m not tired,” Luffa said.  

“That isn’t what I asked,” Topsas insisted.  "On Planet Bigreen you were making use of sedatives, but those prescriptions would have run out a long time ago.  You don’t strike me as the type to run out to the drugstore for a refill.“  

"I got my transformed state under control,” Luffa said. “Once I got a better handle on that, the nightmares stopped.  "Or maybe it was the other way around, but either way, I sleep a lot better these days.  Do I need to get Keda to vouch for me?”

“It’s not a matter of trust,” Topsas said.  "I simply… I worry about you.  Everyone else you meet may see this ultimate warrior, but I have the unique privilege of seeing you at your most vulnerable.  I fear you haven’t enough hands to take proper care of yourself, and you’ve barely enough eyes to see the way forward.  I do wish you would be more careful–“

She took one of his hands and placed it in both of hers.  They stopped on the sidewalk and when he looked at her she had a very embarrassed look on her face.  

"I’m glad you’re here, Doc,” she said quietly.  "I’ve missed having someone fret over me.“

"Yes, well.  You might have thought of that when you left Bigreen in such a rush.”

“You could have come with us,” Luffa said.  "I did invite you to tag along.“

"I am hardly suited for the life of a mercenary,” Topsas said.  "And I doubt I’m well-prepared for the 'Federatrix’ business, whatever that may be.“

"I know,” Luffa said.  "I just… I wanted to thank you, and I didn’t know how.“

"So you hoped to keep me around until you figured it out,” Topsas said.  "Understandable, but hardly necessary.  Think nothing of it.“

"I mean it, doc,” Luffa insisted.  "I may be stubborn and I may be too proud to accept help, but that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate it.  You saved my life.  It hurts to admit it, but it still means a lot to me.  I owe you one.“

"Yes.  Well.”  Topsas scratched one of his free arms with the fingers of another, as though trying to think of what to say.  "I suppose you might help me deal with a rather unruly patient of mine.“

"Someone’s giving you a hard time, doc?” Luffa said.  "I bet I could knock some sense into 'em.“

"I understand she’s on this planet as we speak.  A humanoid, roughly sixty-three inches in height, with a prehensile tail.  Very stubborn.”

She laughed and they continued on their way.

Neither of them noticed they were being followed.

*******

* * *

_**[10 April, 236 Before Age.  Planet Goldwall]** _

“I have made a pillar facing the city gate, and have flayed all the rebel leaders; I have clad the pillar in the flayed skins.”

Zyd Rayleigh Argon paused to let his guests digest those words.  In the meantime, he took another bite of pheasant and washed it down with wine.  

“Yeah, I saw it on the way to the fortress,” Kandai said.  He ate heartily, as was customary for his race, but he was unable to savor his meal.  

“Of course, the rebellion continues without their leaders, so I suppose it would be fair to say that I have not flayed all of them.  New leaders emerge, and so a new pillar will have to be erected for their hides,” Lord Argon said.  "The burden of rule.  Any tactical recommendations from a military expert such as yourself would be most welcome.“

"Uh… have you tried… you know, maybe _not_ flaying so many people?” Kandai said awkwardly.  "Not saying you have to quit cold turkey, but the pillar might be sending the wrong message.“

Lord Argon chuckled and shook his head.  "Ah, the classic Saiyan wit.  I suppose our ways must seem strange to a mighty wanderer such as yourself.  You can be content to beat your enemies to death, then move on to the next battle on a completely different world.  But my house has ruled from Goldwall Fortress for centuries, Noble Saiyan, and staying put requires a more nuanced approach.  Yes, the brutish club of violence must be set aside for the obsidian scalpel of torture.”  

Kandai nodded and pretended to have any clue what his host was talking about.  He had spent months trying to  find a base of operations, a remote planet where he could avoid his enemies and gather his strength.  At last, he had received a tip from an intermediary by the name of Miggerus Janso.  Kandai had hoped to use him to hire a band of mercenaries, but instead Janso had suggested to him that Goldwall was the one place in the universe where the Super Saiyan had refused to go.  

There were rumors that the Super Saiyan was afraid to come to Goldwall, but Kandai knew better.  She had fought fifty Saiyan warriors on Vedev III and defeated them easily.  Twelve star systems had united under her leadership because they recognized she was stronger than all of their armies combined.  It was far more reasonable to assume that she only ignored Goldwall because the planet was beneath her notice.  Kandai was counting on that more than anything else.  

“If you would pledge fealty to House Argon,” Rayleigh said, “You would do well to remember our heraldry.  It is an image of a flayed man, having intercourse with a flayed woman.  There are also drops of blood in the background.  The blood represents the blood that is spilled when a person is flayed.”

“I know,” Kandai said uncomfortably.  "There’s a giant banner hanging behind your chair.  I’m looking at it right now.“

"Indeed,” Rayleigh said. “But that is merely the obverse of our family banner.  To understand our House fully, you must view the other side.  In other words, you must peel back the obvious to reveal the secrets contained on the reverse.  A sort of symbolic flaying.  And do you know what is there?”

“I guess not,” Kandai said.

“It is another flayed man,” Rayleigh explained.  "But this one is smaller, in order to make room for a caption which describes the obverse.  That caption explains that the man and woman depicted are both flayed, and that they are having intercourse, and that it is very much non-consensual.  Also, it explains that the man on the back was flayed for objecting to my House’s tradition of flaying.“

"That… really ties it all together,” Kandai said.

“Now then, what brings you to Goldwall?”

“I need protection,” Kandai explained.  "The way I hear it, you’re the only one who can provide it.  But to be honest, I can’t see how.“

Argon nodded sagely and made a mirthless smile.  "In good time, Noble Saiyan, in good time.  The secret of Goldwall’s prestige in the galaxy cannot be revealed to you all at once.  It must be exposed carefully, deliberately, irrevocably.  It is a great deal like flaying a man to death.  Once done, it cannot be undone, but oftentimes the threat of it is great enough to prove sufficient.”

“All right, fine,” Kandai said.  "You have something going your way, that’s obvious enough.  But I’m on the run from the Legendary Super Saiyan, and I don’t think cowardice is what’s keeping her away.“

"I was under the impression that the Super Saiyan was a man posing as one of your race,” Argon said idly.

“No.  That’s just something my people tell themselves to salve their egos.  I know her.  She was my wife.  When she finds out I’m here, she will come to kill me, no matter the odds.  Do you think you can stop her?”

“I alone?”  Argon said.  "No.  And that is a pity.  She might have proven most amusing, not unlike Lady Dajeel here.

He gestured to the third person at the table, but Kandai didn’t bother to look.  He had seen the nude Camelian shivering in her chair from the moment he entered the hall.  He had heard her quiet whimpers throughout the meal.  She had the body of a pampered noble, and the bruises on her wrists and neck were probably the first injuries she had ever sustained.

“So what’s her part in all of this?” Kandai asked.  Her presence had been a great distraction to him up to this point, but now that they were finally acknowledging her, it became easier to focus on the conversation.

“You have made enemies among the Imperial House of Camelia,” Argon muttered.  "Darjeel is my hostage, to ensure good relations between Goldwall and the Empire.  She was even pledged to be my wife.  But somehow, Camelia has learned that you have come here to seek asylum.  The Emperor has requested your extradition, per the treaty sealed by my engagement to Darjeel.“

Kandai dropped his knife and fork and glared at his host.  "If this is a setup–” he warned.  

“Not at all,” Argon said.  "I have no intention of honoring the treaty, and I never did.  In fact, the Emperor insults House Argon by even daring to invoke it.  Do you know the motto of my illustrious house, Noble Saiyan?“

"Something about flaying, I’d imagine,” Kandai grumbled.

“'Hear Me Flay,’ Noble Saiyan.  It is a proclamation of our flaying tradition, and a challenge to all who would oppose it.  By invoking the treaty, Camelia dares to hold Goldwall to honor its commitments.  And what is honorable about flaying, I ask you?”

“Nothing,” Kandai snarled.

“Precisely!  There can only be one response to this cultural affront, and that is to flay Darjeel alive, and send her skinless corpse to Camelia.  Attached will be a note explaining that she was flayed.”

Darjeel began sobbing as he described her fate, but Argon ignored her.  "Of course,“ he continued, "there are preliminaries that must be observed.  It is customary for the Lord of Goldwall to dine with the condemned before the execution, and she must bathe in blood to appease Flaybor, the God of Flaying.  I have also found much sport in hunting female captives for sport, although–”

Kandai wanted to leap to his feet and vaporize the Camelian woman with a single bolt of energy from his hand.  He wanted to make a bold speech about how he was a Saiyan warrior who had no time to listen to the insane ramblings of some sadistic inbred popinjay in a galactic backwater.  He wanted to force Argon to explain exactly what his secret weapon truly was.  It must have been formidable if he could defy the Camelian Empire so brazenly, but that didn’t mean it could keep a Super Saiyan at bay.  He wanted to know, and he wanted to know *now*.  More to the point, he wanted to strangle Argon and take control of that weapon for himself.  It was what any self-respecting Saiyan would do.

But Kandai did none of this.  He did nothing to the terrified woman, and he listened politely to Argon’s discussion of his favorite atrocities and betrayals.  And when the time came, Kandai knew he would get down on one knee and pledge fealty to Argon, though it curdled his Saiyan blood.

He would do this because the honorless dog was his only hope, and in the end, Kandai decided he liked living more than Saiyan pride.  It was a trait he had discovered in a lot of Saiyans, actually.  The noblest of his people had a tendency to die for what they believed in.  The oldest Saiyans had learned to accept a little cowardice into their lives.  They all denied it, of course, because it was easier to live a lie than to die for principles.

In the end, he supposed that was what made Rayleigh Argon do deeply disturbing to Kandai.  It wasn’t the sadism so much as the way he refused to disguise it.  His house took pride in their shame, and Kandai wondered if that was how it had lasted for so long.

Hours later, Darjeel was sent away to be ’prepared’ for execution, and Argon took Kandai on a tour of the fortress.  He saved the lowest level for last, and this was the only part that held Kandai’s interest.

The lowest level was a large, empty room.  Like the rest of the fortress, the walls were a mustard yellow color, which must have inspired the name.  There, in the center of the floor was a circle of dried blood.  Little scrolls hung at seemingly random places on the walls.  On one wall there was a relief sculpture, depicting a multitude of people bowing down in submission.  The inscription at the bottom read: THE MASTER REIGNS.  THE PARTNER PROVIDES.

“What is this place?” Kandai asked.  The room had aroused his curiosity because it seemed to be the only part of the fortress not decorated with images of flayed men.  "Who’s the ’partner’?“

"The Partner provides,” Argon said.  "This room is a mystic seal which contains his awesome power.  When released, he will conquer in the name of Goldwall and its rightful lord.  That is why we have nothing to fear from the Camelians, Noble Saiyan.  Nor would your wife be of any threat to our partner, if she decided to come here.“

"Have you ever used him?” Kandai asked.

“Never,” Argon said.  "In all the years my House has ruled the Gilded Keep, we have never needed to unleash the Master.  The mere threat of his power is enough to keep our enemies at bay.  He is the sharpest blade, the one who strips all skin from from the flesh and leaves no uncertainty behind.“

"But what is he?” Kandai asked.  "What do you know about him?“

"All I have to say,” Argon said, “Is that our Partner is going shock the world.”

**NEXT: The Survivor**


	25. Chapter 25

_**[10 April 236 Before Age.  Planet Kaloon.]** _

The summit had gone reasonably well.  Kaloon’s entrance into the Federation was virtually assured, and that had been before Luffa had saved the planet from Red Ravager.  All that remained was an evening of formalities with the exarch’s family in their castle.  

Despite being the guest of honor, Luffa found such affairs dull and pointless, but the Saiyan had attended quite a number of them in her time, and she had learned ways to keep the boredom at bay.  She had developed a budding interest in architecture.  The banquets tended to be the same from planet to planet, but the surroundings changed drastically.  Exarch’s Keep was literally carved from a cliff-side, providing a spectacular view of the bay it overlooked.  She struggled to understand personal aesthetics.  The guests always wore elaborate clothes and cosmetics and they arranged their hair to look a certain way, and she studied them in an effort to make sense of their choices.  While she never reached any real answers, it at least gave her something to focus on while she waited for the main course.  

Nevertheless, she found the inactivity tiresome.  At times like these, she missed the simple meals she shared with the militiamen on Dorlu Prime.  The Dorluns had even less interest in fashion than the Saiyans.  They all wore the same color clothes, the same style of tunics and pants.  Compared to them, Luffa’s yellow fighting togs were downright pretentious. Luffa had always cooked for the militia, so dinner was served whenever she pleased.  Those days had supplied a different kind of tedium, but at least they were simpler times.  

“Now, father?” asked a small child just beyond Luffa’s field of view.  She turned to look and saw a red-haired girl tugging on a man’s kilt.  Like all the Kalooni, their faces were painted to denote their family history and social status.  In her other hand she held some sort of crate with a cloth draped over it.

“Later, Alayne,” her father scolded.  "Wait until they serve the meal.  The Saiyan must replenish her strength before–“

"Before what?” Luffa asked, addressing them.  "If there’s another invader you need clobbered, I could use the exercise while we wait for the food.“

The man was clearly embarrassed to have her attention.  "It’s nothing like that, Madame Saiyan.  My daughter, well, she was anxious to meet you, and, uh, she’s heard rumors that you–”

“ _It’s Lady!_ ” the girl blurted out.  "She’s _sick_ , but you could _help_ her, couldn’t you?“

Luffa was confused, until she heard a weak chirping noise from within the crate.  She leaned back and looked at the high ceiling of the banquet hall.  "Oh _no_ ,” she muttered to herself.  

“My cousin visited Highthorne last summer.  They told him about the plague that had made their land barren, because their mystic raven had taken ill.   He said _you_ healed it, and lifted the curse.”  

“Forgive us,” her father said, cutting her off.  "Alayne has heard so _many_ stories about you, and after your battle today I am sure you wish to _rest_ –“

"You heal _one bird_ , and suddenly everyone thinks you’re a veterinarian,” Luffa said.  She waved her hand to beckon the child forward.  "Well, let me take a look.“

Alayne smiled and quickly removed the cloth to open the cage inside.  Her father was stunned.  "You mean….it’s _true_?” he gasped.

“I can transfer my own energy into others,” Luffa said.  "The raven on Highthorne just needed a boost, I suppose.  But word gets around, and you’re probably the sixth person to ask me to heal their pet.  Funny thing is, it only seems to work on birds.  I tried it on a horse and–“ she shrugged for effect.

"Here,” Alayne said.  Gently, she placed the creature into Luffa’s hands.  It moved its wings slightly, but remained completely still otherwise.

“Lady, I presume,” Luffa said, holding the bird close to her face to look it over.  "Your keeper must care about you a lot, little bird.  It’s a brave thing, asking a favor from a _Super Saiyan_ before she’s had her dinner.  I got half a mind to make an appetizer out of you.“

She looked back at Alayne, who gulped audibly.  

"But I can’t have people thinking I’m too weak to beat up Red Ravager _and_ heal a little bird.  I may be hungry, but I have my pride to think about.  And your mistress’s hair reminds me of a friend of mine.  A militia captain I used to work with.  I wasn’t strong enough to help her.   _I won’t be that weak again._ ”

She closed her eyes, gritted her teeth, and held the bird in her hands close to her stomach.  A moment later, she was surrounded by a golden glow, and her short black hair and brown furred tail had become a bright yellow color to match.  Alayne and her father backed away, and the rest of the guests in the hall turned to see what was going on.  Slowly, carefully, Luffa held out her left hand with Lady in her palm.  For a moment, the bird had a golden aura of its own.  It stirred, then took flight, returning to the cage in Alayne’s hand.  

“Lady!” the girl cried.  She held up the cage and watched with delight as the bird sat on its perch, singing and flapping its wings with newfound vigor.   She looked back to Luffa, only to find that she was struggling to change back to normal.  At last, her hair returned to its normal dark color, and she held up her hands to signal to the crowd that everything was all right.  

“Sorry, folks,” she called out.  "Just showing off a little.“

The onlookers gradually turned back to whatever they had been doing, and Alayne thanked her profusely, and Luffa went back to people-watching.  She wondered what her mother would think if she could see her now.  Healing sick pets, hobnobbing with alien nobles, wondering why formal gowns sometimes had sequins but tuxedos didn’t.

She never noticed that someone was still watching her intently.  

*******

* * *

_**[10 April 236 Before Age.  Planet Goldwall]** _

"The Lord of Goldwall is mad, obviously.  You’ve been pledged to his service for only a few hours, and you can already see it.”

Kandai had left Rayleigh Argon’s fortress that evening to familiarize himself with the planet.  That was the official explanation he had given, which was true enough, but it left out the fact that he wanted to be as far as possible from his new lord and the screams of his helpless victims.  Most Saiyans had no objection to cruelty, but something about Argon’s particular brand of sadism was particularly off-putting.  For a while, Kandai had suspected it was his own fear nagging at him.  Argon’s cruelty reminded him of the things Luffa might do if she ever found him on this planet.  But the comparison didn’t hold up.  Luffa just wanted Kandai dead, but Lord Argon seemed to delight in playing with his victims in a way he had never seen among Saiyans.  And at least Luffa had a grudge behind her wrath.  Argon was perfectly happy to torment random strangers.  

He had been pondering this during his visit to a nearby town, but couldn’t quite make the conclusion until he hired some ‘companionship’ for the night.  There, in the bed of some ramshackle inn, a common prostitute named Calgon said the truth he had been trying to avoid.  

“What of it?” Kandai grumbled.  He had found her unsatisfying, mostly because of his foul mood.  What he had really wanted was someone to talk to, the way he and Luffa had talked during their brief marriage, before he had betrayed her to the Tikosi.  But Calgon was an alien and far too fascinated with Kandai’s tan skin and the scar that remained from when he had cut off his own tail.  She listened, but not as diligently as his wife once had.  

“I hear things,” Calgon said.   She rose from the bed and took a translucent robe from one of the posts of the headboard.  As she threw it on she went to the dresser and picked up a pair of glass tumblers.  "Want a drink?“ she asked.  

"Why not?” Kandai said.  

“Rumor has it that Lord Argon means to make a big push against the rebels,” she said.  "They’ve been a thorn in his side for years.  They’ve even hired mercenaries to help them with some of their more daring missions.  Of course, no mercenary will commit to any _major_ operation against Goldwall Fortress.  They know about the legend.“

"’The Partner Provides,’” Kandai recited.  He sat up and draped his legs over the side of the bed.

“It’s a stalemate, really,” Calgon said with a shrug.  She knelt down and produced a bottle from one of the dresser drawers.  "This planet is ruled by a dynasty of insane lords.  When they push the people too far, a resistance movement rises up to push back.  But neither side can push too far because of the Secret Partner, the legendary warrior sealed in that damned fortress.“

"What does he have to do with it?” Kandai asked.  Argon had told him about the 'Partner’, and how he was the ultimate trump card that is ancestors had used to protect their rule.  If Luffa ever came to Goldwall in search of Kandai, the 'Partner’ would be the only thing that could possibly stand in her way.

“Think about it,” Calgon said.  She started pouring their drinks, and Kandai admired the way her figure was only partially obscured by the robe.  "The Partner is supposed to be invincible.  Let’s assume he really is.  The rebels don’t want to find out the hard way, so they have to keep a respectable distance.  They have to whittle away at the edges, but never press their advantage too much.“  She turned around and handed Kandai a glass, now filled with black liquor.  

"Then why doesn’t Argon simply use the Partner to crush the rebellion completely?” Kandai asked.  

“Because he’s insane, not stupid,” Calgon explained.  She turned back to the dresser and prepared her own glass.  "Suppose he releases the Partner, and he really _can_ crush the rebellion.  Great, but then what?  Can he put the guy back where he came from?   Does he even _know how_ to do that?  It’s been centuries since anyone ever used the Partner.  There might be a very good reason for that.  Releasing him might not be worth the trouble.“

"But the rebels might force the issue someday,” Kandai argued.  "The rebels, or some foreign power.  One day, his house may have no choice but to invoke the Partner.“

"Maybe,” Calgon said.  "I don’t know how bad it would have to get for that, but you’re right, it could happen.  But what if the Partner _isn’t_ invincible?  What if the moment of truth arrives, and Argon or one of his heirs summons the Partner, and it _doesn’t work_?   What if the Partner isn’t strong enough, or he simply doesn’t exist?  Even if House Argon survives the crisis, they come out of it looking much, much weaker than before.  A new enemy could plot against them, and this time the Partner would be a known quantity.“

She turned and raised her glass for an informal toast, only to find that Kandai had already downed his drink and was now holding out his empty glass for a refill.  She rolled her eyes and sighed.

"That’s why no one has used the Partner for so long,” Kandai said.  "Whatever the truth is behind the legend, he’s more valuable as a deterrent than as a counter-measure.“

"Exactly,” Calgon said.  She took a sip of her own drink, then took Kandai’s and poured him another.  "Forget the rebellion.  If House Argon could actually control the Partner and use him at will, they’d have wiped out all domestic unrest _centuries ago_.  Hell, by _now_ , they’d have conquered this quadrant of the galaxy.“

” _If_ The Partner is as powerful as they say,“ Kandai said.  "Like you were telling me, he _could_ just be a myth.”

“Oh, the Partner _is_ real,” Calgon said, handing him his drink.  "House Argon can’t control him, but he’s everything they say, and _more_.“

"Is that so?” Kandai said, restraining his enthusiasm.  He wanted it to be true.  He _needed_ it to be true, but he couldn’t let himself be manipulated by false hope.  "What would a streetwalker like _you_ know about it?“

"More than you’d expect,” she said.  "My ancestors used to rule Goldwall before House Argon rose to power.  I’m sure your lord showed you the inscription.  "'The Master Reigns.  The Partner Provides.’  Oh, he _provides_ all right, but _not_ for House Argon.“

She laughed and took a drink while she tapped the fingers of her free hand on her sternum.  "He provides for _me_.”

*******

* * *

 

_**[10  April 236 Before Age.  Planet Kaloon]** _

Now that the banquet was behind her, Luffa decided that it hadn’t been so bad.   She had met a Kalooni intelligence agent who had been researching the artificial _ki_ emitters that had given Red Ravager his powers, and talking to him about weapons technology had been diverting, if not quite as fun as discussing an actual fight.  And a decent looking ambassador had taught her enough dance moves to fake her way through the ball that followed the dinner.  She thought about dropping by his room before turning in for the night, but she wanted to check in with Keda first, and she had left her communicator in her own guest quarters.  

“Dr. Topsas gave me an examination,” Keda said.  "I told him I was fine, but he wanted to see for himself.  I think he just needed something to do.“

"You know how he is,” Luffa said, “he likes to fuss.  Any word?”

“No.  But it could be a while.”

They were speaking of Keda’s search for other Dorluns like herself.  The colony on Dorlu Prime had been wiped out by a Tikosi invasion, one which Luffa and the Dorlun militia had been unable to repel.  Keda was the only known Dorlun survivor, but the Dorluns were a species of survivalists, and their unspoken hope was that there might have been other colonists who managed to somehow escape the planet.  And even if there were none, there were still other colonies of Dorluns in the galaxy.   Per the traditions of her culture, Keda had been sending routine hails from Luffa’s starship for over a year, but she had yet to receive a reply.  If other Dorluns were truly out there, they either had not received the signal or felt it unwise to respond.  Keda was merely frustrated with this, while Luffa was always disappointed.  She had felt responsible for what happened to the colony, and she had hoped to make it up in some small way by reuniting its sole survivor with her own kind.  

“Maybe tomorrow, kid,” Luffa said.  

“Maybe,” Keda said.  "So… did you meet anybody at the banquet?“

"Some brat about your age brought me a bird to fix up,” Luffa said.  " _Again._ “

"You know what I mean!” Keda objected.  "Anybody… _special_?“

The transmission was audio-only, but Luffa could practically _feel_ Keda making a childish, exaggerated _wink_.  She stiffened her lips and made a frustrated growl.  

"Luffa, did you copy?  I’m getting some static on my end.”

“I’m going to bed, Keda,” she said.  

“Yeah, but not _alone_ , right?” Keda asked.  

“Good.  Night.   _Keda_ ,” Luffa said.  She thought she heard giggling on the other end, but she closed the transmission too quickly to be sure.  She knew very little about Dorlun life-cycles, but she was sure that Eleven-year-old Keda was a lot nosier than Nine-year-old Keda.  The next few years would probably make her even more vulgar.  

“Not even her final form,” Luffa muttered to herself.  Well the ambassador was completely out of the question now.  Keda’s interrogation had left a bad taste in her mouth.  Besides, Luffa would be back on Kaloon sooner or later, and maybe it was better to wait until then to see where things stood.  She found her luggage sack and changed out of her training sweats into an oversized T-shirt she used for sleepwear.  She turned to head for the bed, and it was only then that she saw the figure standing in the room with her.

“Hey, Luffa.”

Luffa’s only reply was a startled yelp.  Decades of martial arts training had honed her senses to the point where it was virtually impossible to sneak up on her, and this was before she had tapped into the power to transform into a Super Saiyan.  Every living thing possessed that spark of life, the animus which she knew as _ki_.  She could sense it in virtually anything, although stronger beings were far easier to detect than weaker ones.   A skilled warrior could conceal his _ki_ for tactical purposes, but nothing short of death would eliminate it entirely.  

Yet the person who greeted her now had no _ki_ signal whatsoever.  Even when Luffa was staring right at her, her senses could find no sign of life.  Then, just as she began to wonder if it was some kind of illusion, or a ghost, the woman’s presence revealed itself to her, as though from out of nowhere.  But by then, Luffa had already tumbled unceremoniously to the floor.  

Now that she knew the intruder was a real person, she could finally process what she was seeing.  Her skin was blue, and the sclera and iris of one of her eyes was bright green.  Her other eye was covered with a black patch which matched the rest of her clothing.  Her hair was a deep red color, styled in an undercut bob.  Her appearance identified her as a Dorlun like Keda, but she looked unlike any Luffa had ever seen before.  Yet her _ki_ was unmistakably familiar, now that Luffa could finally sense it.

The intruder held out her hand to Luffa and smiled warmly.  "I guess we _both_ look a lot different since the last time we saw each other,“ she said.  "You were covered in Tikosi blood, and I wore my hair a lot longer, but you recognize me _now_ , don’t you?”

“Captain?” Luffa said.  Tentatively, she raised her hand up to take hers.  Instead, the intruder grabbed her by the wrist and hauled Luffa into an upright position.  

“Well, you can call me whatever you like,” she said.  "But the militia’s long gone.  I’m not much of a captain these days, so most people just call me Zatte.“  

**NEXT: Back in Black**


	26. Chapter 26

_**[11 April 236 Before Age. Planet Kaloon.]** _

“I’ve only had experience with one Dorlun patient up to now, but Ms. Zatte’s physiology certainly resembles Ms. Keda’s quite closely.  As far as I can tell, she is what she claims to be.”

Dr. Topsas was still putting his instruments into his medical bag as he spoke.  The subject of the discussion, Captain Zatte, sat up on the examination table of the star-yacht’s sickbay, adjusted the eyepatch she wore on the right side of her face and held out her hands in mock-triumph.  

“I told you so,” she said.  

Luffa and Keda were less than convinced.  "How did you sneak up on me?“ Luffa demanded.  She had been ready for bed when Zatte had suddenly appeared in her guest quarters at the castle of the Exarch of Kaloon.  Almost immediately, Luffa had taken Zatte directly to the star-yacht she used as a base, and so she was still wearing the oversized shirt she used for sleepwear.

"Better question: Why do you own a T-shirt with the words ’ _The Super Saiyan_ ’ printed on the front?” Zatte asked.  "Are you afraid people won’t recognize you?“

"If I may interject,” Topsas said, “I was wondering that myself.”

“It’s merchandise from that stupid movie they made about me,” Luffa snarled.  "They sent me a giant crate of the dumb things and I figured I might as well hang on to one and get some use out of it. Can we _move on_ please?“

"I used my powers,” Zatte said.

“What powers?” Luffa said.  "You don’t _have_ any powers.“

” _Every_ Dorlun has powers, Luffa,“ Zatte countered.  "We’re born with them, and they’re activated at a special ceremony when we reach a certain age.  Keda’s will need to be unlocked in a few years.”

“Actually, Coyto turned them on early.  It was just before we evacuated the colony,” Keda said.  "I can shape-shift.“  

"Smart thinking,” Zatte said.  "As for _me_ , Luffa, I can manipulate energy.“  She held up her right hand and it slowly rippled out of sight.  "For example, I can warp light around my body to camouflage myself.  And I can do something similar to prevent others from sensing my _ki_.  You might have heard me or smelled me–air currents aren’t really something I can influence–but you’re used to relying on sight and _ki_ detection, so you didn’t notice me until I _wanted_ to be noticed.”

“You’re telling me _everyone in the Dorlun militia_ had special powers?” Luffa shouted.  

“ _Yes!_ ” Zatte shouted back.

“ _Then why the hell didn’t any of you use them while I was training you all?!_ ” Luffa shouted.

“You were training us to _fight_!” Zatte shouted.  "We already _knew_ how to use our powers!  We didn’t need you for that!“

"That is the stupidest–!” Luffa clutched one of her hands over her face and groaned.  "If you had _coordinated_ your powers _and_ your combat skills _at the same time_ you would have been able to fight more effectively!“

"We were doing that!”

“ _When?_ ” Luffa asked.  "I sure as hell never saw it!“  

"We did drills while you were out in the wild hunting those stupid dinosaurs!”

“You should have _told_ me!”

“You didn’t need to know!   _You_ weren’t in charge of the militia!   _I_ was!” Zatte shouted.  

“I could have helped!” Luffa insisted.  "If you had all attacked me with _everything you had_ , you could have lasted at least three times as long as–!“

"We weren’t training to keep _you_ amused!” Zatte shot back.  

“Don’t worry, you didn’t!” Luffa snarled.  "Fighting you people was like sparring with children!  And you were _holding back the entire time_!  Otta!  Could Otta turn invisible?“

"Otta could _fly_ ,” Zatte said.  

Luffa put both hands over her face and threw her head back in frustration.  "You had a flier on the squad and you just _kept him on the ground_ and let me…“

"We had _seven_ fliers!  The point was teaching them how to fight in case they were grounded!”  

But Luffa wasn’t even listening anymore.  "You could have had them box me in, used your ground-bound troops to fire on me while I was distracted…“

"Uh, can I ask a question?” Keda asked.  

“Sure, Keda,” Zatte said.

“You must have escaped the Tikosi using your powers to hide from them, but how did you get off-planet?” Keda asked.  "And why didn’t you ever try to contact any Dorluns?  I’ve been hailing our people for over a year now.  You never answered.“  

Zatte smiled.  "After I was sure the Tikosi had left the planet, I went back into the settlement and found enough parts to rig up a short-range transmitter.  I sent a general distress call and a passing freighter picked me up.  But things got a little hairy after that, and I never really had a chance to seek out any other Dorluns.  It just wasn’t safe enough to try.”

“Okay…” Keda said slowly.  "I can see that.   But you still haven’t… _you know_ …“

Zatte glanced over at Dr. Topsas.  "I was being discreet,” she said under her breath.  "No sense in giving anything away.“

"Oh,” Keda said.  "It’s fine.  He’s okay.“ 

“I certainly like to think so,” Dr. Topsas said.  

” _plibortuN vehasS, kedA_ ,“ Zatte said.  

” _vehasS orthpliB, zattE_ ,“ Keda replied.  

"What is _that_ , a secret code?” Luffa asked.  "Let me guess, now you’ll both grow a hundred feet tall and shoot energy blasts from your nostrils or–“

"We were _speaking Dorlun_ , you idiot!” Zatte snapped.  "It’s how we prove to one another that we’re not infiltrators.“

"Infiltrators?” Topsas asked.  "My word, you don’t take any chances, do you?“

"The Dorluns are survivors, doctor,” Zatte said.  "My people didn’t last this long by being careless.  If Keda has shape-shifting powers, it’s a safe bet by now that she could use them to imitate all sorts of life forms.  It stands to reason an alien might be able to impersonate me just to get on board this ship.“ She looked over to Luffa and grinned wickedly.  "If I were an assassin, I could impersonate your friend and wait for you to break orbit and sabotage the ship. Create a hull breach.  You’d all be dead in minutes.”  

Luffa crossed her arms and snorted.  "If I doubted who you were, I wouldn’t have brought you here in the first place.  I could have read your mind back at the castle.“

"If I had wanted you dead, Luffa,” Zatte said, “I could have simply stayed invisible and waited for you to fall asleep.  Then I could poison you with trans-dermal gel.  You’d never know what hit you.”

“So what’s with the outfit?” Keda asked.

Zatte looked down at her clothing and chuckled.  It was a black backless bodysuit with fishnet leggings.  Topsas handed her the rest of her ensemble, which amounted to a pair of over-knee boots and evening gloves, a cropped military style jacket, and a choker necklace, all black.  She began hurriedly putting it all on, as though suddenly aware of how under-dressed she was.  "Dr. Topsas needed to do some scans,“ she explained.  "I guess it is a little provocative by Dorlun standards.  Governor Coyto probably wouldn’t have approved.”

“Otta might have appreciated it,” Keda said.  "I’m not so sure about the hair, though.“

Zatte held her hand up to the side of her head to gesture to the bob style she wore.  "Yeah, it’s shorter than we normally wear it.  I guess if I’m ever lost in the woods I’d have to scrounge for tinder instead of using my own hair.  But my powers make it easier to start a fire, so I suppose its a decent trade-off.  I had to change my look to fit in better.”

“Fit in where?” Keda asked.  

“Long story, kiddo,” Zatte said.  "For now, all that matters is I’m here, I’m alive, and everyone believes its really me.  So, does that mean I get to stay for a while?“  

Topsas nodded and shrugged a few of his shoulders.  "I have no objections.  Although I’m as much a guest as you are, Captain,” he said.  

Luffa looked her over and snorted.  "Do as you like,“ she muttered.  

"I’ll try not to sneak up on you again, okay?” Zatte offered.  "Next time I promise you’ll see it coming.“

"Then it’s settled,” Keda said.  "You can live on the ship with me!  Uh… if you _want to_ , of course.“

"I’d like that, Keda,” Zatte said, “but I do have some responsibilities that I’ll need to get back to eventually.  That won’t be for a while though.  In the meantime, you guys don’t follow a dress code on this ship, do you?  Because I really can’t see myself in a white shirt with ’ _One-Eyed Dorlun_ ’ written on it.”  

Luffa made some sort of indignant noise, but Keda ignored her.  "Don’t worry.  We dumped the rest of those shirts on some backwater planet months ago to make room for supplies.  'Ee-Yarth’ I think it was called.“

"Never heard of it,” Zatte said.  "Let’s hope the natives aren’t easily offended.“

*******

* * *

"This’ll be your room while you’re here,” Luffa said.  She stood in the corridor and gestured into an open doorway.  Zatte stepped inside and looked around for a minute.  As she took in the lavish decor she made a low whistle.  Luffa followed her inside and crossed her arms while she waited for her reaction.

“You’ve done well for yourself, Luffa,” Zatte said.  "A fancy star-yacht, invincible super powers, your own feature film, and the head of your own interstellar alliance.   If these are the guest quarters, the master bedroom must be _enormous_!“

"This _is_ the master bedroom,” Luffa said with a harrumph.  "You’re welcome, by the way.“

Zatte was confused for a moment, and then she snapped her fingers once it dawned on her.  "Right!  Of course.  The austere life of a Saiyan warrior.  You probably sleep on a mat in the engine room or something.”

“Gymnasium actually,” Luffa said.  "Two decks below.  If you need to see Keda, she spends all her time on the bridge.“

"Figures,” Zatte said.  "Give a Saiyan and a Dorlun a luxurious pleasure craft and they still live like monks.  "There’s probably a hot tub somewhere on this crate and you two never even bothered to try it out.“

"The way _I_ remember it, Captain, _you_ were the one always up before sunrise doing laps around the defense perimeter,” Luffa said.  She glanced down at Zatte’s stockings.  "Of course, you used to wear pants back then.“

Zatte smiled.  "I’ve expanded my horizons, Luffa.  The universe is a big place, and you can’t force it to change to suit you.  You of all people should be able to understand that.  So how are things with Kandai?”

“I haven’t seen him in over a year,” Luffa said.  

“Ouch.  Not good, I take it.”

“Oh, things’ll get a _lot_ better after I’ve _killed_ him,” Luffa said.  

Zatte winced.  "So… you’re separated then?“ she asked.  

"I like to think of myself as an aspiring widow,” Luffa said with a bloodthirsty grin.  

“Great, now that you’re single we should go clubbing sometime,” Zatte said.  

Luffa shook her head.  "I have to _find_ Kandai first, Captain,“ she said.  "And I prefer to use my bare hands.  Blunt instruments aren’t my style–”

“I meant _night_ clubs, dummy,” Zatte said.  

“Is that why you’re dressed like some kind of circus contortionist?” Luffa asked.  "You’d fit right in with that scene.“

"Oh _ha ha_ ,” Zatte said.  "At least I put some thought into my appearance, instead of always looking like I just rolled out of bed.  You know, I’ve got a spare set of boots.  You should try them out sometime–“

"I’m sorry,” Luffa said.  

Zatte was expecting some flippant remark.  Luffa had even been preparing to make one, but at the last moment she said those two words instead.  "Sorry for what?“ she asked.

"The colony,” Luffa said.  "Your eye.  Not training your troops well enough.  Not listening to you when you warned me about the Tikosi.  Take your pick.“  

Zatte approached her and put her hands on Luffa’s shoulders.  "It’s all right,” she said.  "What’s done is done.  You did everything you could that day.  We all did.“

"No, I _didn’t_ ,” Luffa murmured.  "I had this power inside me all along.  I just didn’t know how to tap into it until it was too late.  If I’d just worked _harder_ … if I had just pushed myself to the limit…“

"Luffa, what _happened_ to you after Dorlu Prime?” Zatte asked.  "I saw that crappy movie they made, and I’m betting that’s not the real story.“

"Not many people know,” Luffa said.  "Just the ones who were there, really.  It wasn’t my finest hour…“

"Just promise you’ll tell me about it when you’re ready, okay?” Zatte said.  

“Yeah… I owe you that much at least.”

“What you owe me is an honest opinion,” Zatte said.  She held out her arms and waved them in front of herself.  "Do you like the outfit?“

Luffa snorted and turned on her heel to leave.   "Maybe my horizons aren’t broad enough, but it looks pretty ridiculous to me.   Pretty brazen, although I guess invisibility changes how you think about your appearance.”

Then she turned around and smirked as she added: "But I suppose you _do_ pull it off.”  

*******

* * *

 _ **[11 April 236 Before Age. Planet Goldwall.]**_

“You’ll never pull it off, Calgon.  You’ve taken some outrageous risks before, but bringing one of Lord Argon’s enforcers here is suicide!  It’s madness!”

Calgon waited for Elder Eragon to finish, but she quickly stepped forward to speak before anyone else in the room could raise further objections.  "With all _due_ respect, Elder,“ she said, "you confuse madness with _boldness_.  You all complained when I led the raids on the south outposts last year, or when I had House Argon’s chief executioner assassinated.  You moaned that the rebellion was finished, that we had pushed Zyd Rayleigh Argon too far!  But none of you seemed to mind the risks once they paid off!  This is a rebellion, not a civil war.  We don’t have the luxury of playing it safe and harassing the enemy while we wait for easy targets or a negotiated peace.”

As she continued to cow the other rebel leaders, Kandai leaned back in his seat and nursed his drink.  Calgon looked very different from the woman he had hired to spend the night with him.  When she revealed herself as a member of the rebellion, he had assumed she was a mere spy.  It was a clever angle, after all.  Enemy troops could let all sorts of things slip after a night of passion and a bottle of liquor.  But now that she had brought him here, it was becoming clear that she was the chief of the entire operation.  She reached under her camouflage poncho and drew an energy rifle holstered behind her back, apparently to make some rhetorical point to the others.   Kandai wondered if she had been a military commander who used prostitution as a means to an end, or a sex worker who had been thrust into military command by necessity.  He supposed it made no difference, since he respected her either way.  

“–we have to face the fact that Argon has already escalated the conflict,” Calgon went on.  "A Saiyan warrior could hunt us down and wipe us out in a matter of weeks.“

"Days,” Kandai corrected.  He respected her, but he refused to let her flatter herself.

“Just so,” Calgon said.  "Bringing him here only hastens the inevitable.  But mercenaries are a double-edged sword.  We can beat House Argon’s offer.“

"He swore an oath to House Argon!” Baron Wobegon cried.  "Are we to trust a warrior who sells his loyalty to the highest bidder?  Is honor worthless on Planet Goldwall?“

"Honor died the day House Argon rose to power,” Calgon shouted.  "Its lord punishes the innocent and mocks the laws of man and nature.  Kandai swore an oath in exchange for the protection of the Partner.  Well I say that boon was never Lord Argon’s to offer.  When the day comes and the hidden warrior is released from his ancient seal, he will conquer, but not in the name of House Argon.  It was my house that ruled Goldwall before his, and I am the heir to the Partner.“

Everyone became upset at this claim.  Some, like Duke Hexagon, argued that their family lines also ruled Goldwall in the distant past, and so they too might be the heirs to the Partner’s patriotic loyalty.  Others simply disputed Calgon’s legitimacy.  After so many centuries, the name Calgon had become quite commonplace, and few were willing to believe that a low-born trollop could have such a noble pedigree.   Still others took her claim at face value, but became worried that Calgon had only joined the rebellion in order to replace Argon’s tyranny with her own.  

Kandai ignored them completely now.  Saiyans weren’t known for their interpersonal skills, but his people were savvy enough warriors to recognize who was really in charge of an operation.  The rebel leaders considered themselves a council of equals, but they all deferred to Elder Eragon out of respect for his advanced age, Hexagon for the resources he contributed to the rebellion, and Lady Shingon for her financial support.  While these three commanded respect, it was Calgon who made things happen, who got results when no one else could.    She paid lip service to the others, and insisted that she was merely a servant of the rebellion’s ideals, but she was the true leader, whether any of them admitted it or not.  There body language, the way they spoke to her, it was obvious to anyone who knew to look for it.

Eventually, Calgon managed to convince them that it didn’t matter which of their lineages controlled the Partner, since they were all joined together in a common cause.  And as long as they pledged to use the Partner to defend Goldwall against the Super Saiyan who hunted Kandai, then Kandai would betray Argon to support the cause as well.  Soon, they agreed upon a bold plan for a frontal assault on Argon’s fortress.  At the critical juncture, Kandai would cripple the stronghold’s defenses, and take Argon prisoner.  

After that, the rebel leaders would share power until they could draft a formal agreement.  Kandai would become the _magister militum_ for the planet and receive other special rewards, but none of this interested him.  The Partner was the only thing keeping him alive.  Everything beyond that was trivial.  

He began to dwell on this point as he stared into the inky blackness of his drink, and so he didn’t notice the council had adjourned until Calgon stood in front of him, put her hands on the armrests of his chair, and leaned down to look him in the eye.  "So how did I do?” she asked with a confident smile.

“If you fight as well as you talk, then I won’t need the Partner,” Kandai grunted.  " _You_ could simply dispatch Luffa for me instead.“

"I can deal with _her_ when the time comes,” Calgon said.  "I’ve managed to juggle the rebellion, Argon, the Partner so far, not to mention you.  What’s one more powerful force?“

She started to rub his bald head in a show of affection, but he simply glared at her.  "This isn’t a _game_ , woman.  You’re not going to manipulate a _Super Saiyan_ as easily as your comrades.”

“No?  And here I was beginning to think I had a real rapport with your people.”  She leaned in closer and kissed him on the side of his neck.  As she withdrew, she said into his ear: “I suppose she wouldn’t be as receptive to my charms as you are.”

“You might be _surprised_ ,” Kandai said bitterly.  "But there’s no compromise where I’m concerned.  It’s her life or mine.  You won’t be able to negotiate any other way.“

"Maybe not,” Calgon said.  "But she’s six weeks away, and maintaining an interstellar alliance is surely diverting to say the least.  She doesn’t even know you’re here, and if she does find out, if she does drop everything to come after you, I’ll still have plenty of time to arrange a proper welcome.“

She tugged on his arm.  "Now come,” she said.  "You’re expected back at the fortress by morning, and we have much to do before you return to your lord’s service.“

Kandai rose from his seat and followed her.  Even as they privately discussed battle plans, even as they made love for the third time that night, even as she toyed with the idea of crowning herself queen and making him prince consort to consolidate power, the only thing he could think about was that this woman had to die.  

It was simply a question of when.  She was too ruthless to trust indefinitely.  Why use the Partner to ward off a Super Saiyan when you could simply give her Kandai’s head on a platter and turn an enemy into a friend?  Even if Calgon genuinely wanted to keep Kandai around, Luffa would eventually force her to choose.

He didn’t like those odds at all.  

**NEXT: Delicate negotiations**

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_**[15 May Age 767.  Earth.]** _

“Well, that guy up there sounds like he’s about to blow up this whole island,” Roger said.   

“What?”  Tony asked.  His fingers were still jammed in his ears in a futile attempt to protect his hearing from the creature’s loud bellowing.  

“Take your fingers out of your ears Tony,” Roger said.  He finally had to grab his friend’s wrists and pull them out himself.  “Whatever that thing is, he’s finished yelling.”  

“What the _hell_ is an “Number 18″ anyway?” Tony asked.  “Is he ordering takeout or something?  I hope he chokes on it.” 

“Well,  there’s not much we can do about it,” Roger said.  He straightened his green and blue striped tie and checked to make sure his pen was still in his shirt-pocket.  “Yep.  I guess I’m as ready to die as I’ll ever be.” 

 “What’s with that tie anyway?” Tony asked.  “You wear it to work every day.” 

“It was my older brother’s tie,” Roger said.  “I looked up to him a lot, and after the funeral I just started wearing it.  It made it feel like he was still around, somehow.  Seems kind of pointless now.   That reminds me, what’s your shirt mean, anyway?”

“It says ‘The Super Saiyan’“ Tony said.  

“I can see that,” Roger said.  “What does it _mean_?”

“Man, you never heard the legend?” Tony asked.  “This guy was fishing a few years back, right?  And his boat hit some big metal crate as he was hugging the coastline.  He hauled it aboard, thinking it might be something valuable, and it was full of these shirts.” 

“Where did they come from?” Roger asked.

“That’s the weird part.  _Nobody knows!_ ”  Tony said.  “Nobody knows what the words are supposed to mean either.  It was like one of those publicity stunts you hear about, only they forgot to roll out the product it was supposed to promote.  I read an article where some guy carbon-dated a shirt and determined it was 1,004 years old.”

“Nobody was making T-shirts back then,” Roger said.  

“I know, right?  Anyway, it was kind of a fad for a while.  People would take selfies with a shirt and say their cat was behind it all.  That guy with the weird hair said it was cargo from an alien spacecraft.  Me, I’m just out of clean clothes.”

“Aw, crap, he’s aiming at us now…”  Roger shook his head and looked over to Tony.  “Well, it was nice knowing you, man.   

“See you on the other side, dude.”


	27. Chapter 27

_**[14 April 236 Before Age.  Extraliga.]** _

“You’re _late_.”

Zatte tugged at the fingers of her black evening gloves to adjust them into place.  "I think it was worth it.“ she said.  "So how do I look?”

“You _look_ like you’re _late_.”

Most of the people who maneuvered around them were Extraligans, reptilian humanoids with plumes of red feathers atop their heads.  Their culture had regular contact with alien species, but they weren’t so jaded to the experience that some of them didn’t slow down to look at the two mammalian women standing in the middle of the sidewalk.  

Luffa wore a black bomber jacket with a white shirt.  Her baggy yellow training pants were tucked into black combat boots, but what really caught the Extraligans’ attention was the furry brown tail that was sticking out just above the seat.  It waved and curled behind her like a cobra poised to strike.  Her beige skin and the thick tangle of short hair on her head were conspicuous as well, but it was the tail that identified her as a Saiyan, a race of notorious warriors.  

Her companion, Zatte, was a Dorlun, although most sapient beings in the universe had never heard enough about them to recognize one.  Her azure skin fluoresced slightly under certain types of artificial lighting, and so she looked a bit more vivid than usual.  She wore a black eyepatch, but the other eye shone a brilliant green that complimented her vermilion hair.  If any Extraligans found her features strange, they might have taken solace in her attire, which she had purchased from one of their clothiers.   The black dress she wore had a plunging neckline that took a slight turn at her abdomen to rendezvous with the slit that ran along her left leg.  There were about four inches of fabric between these features, leaving one to wonder if the tailor had forgotten to finish sewing it.  

“I was late because I wanted to find the right dress for the occasion,” Zatte shouted.  "The _least_ you could do is appreciate the trouble I went to.“

"I like it,” Luffa said.  "It looks like you can do a roundhouse kick without ripping it too badly.“

"That’s not what I’m asking and you know it!” Zatte yelled.  When Luffa smiled she became even more irritated.  "You’re doing this on purpose,“ she said.  "You never used to do that back in the colony.”

“You never fished for compliments back on the colony,” Luffa said.  "Of course, you wore the same thing as everyone else all the time, so what could you expect?  When did you get so fixated on appearance anyway?“

"I learned it helps get you places,” Zatte said.  "It impresses certain people.  Not all of us are celebrities, you know.“

"You look _breathtaking_ , Zatte,” Luffa said with very little sincerity.  "I’m _sure_ you’ll impress _everyone_ at the game.“

"Game?” Zatte repeated.

“Hockey playoffs,” Luffa said.  "Game five between the Ikonda Raiders and the Bas Barracudas.“

"You said you were being honored tonight!” Zatte said.

“I’m dropping the ceremonial first puck,” Luffa said.  "Do you think I should turn Super Saiyan when I do it?  Some photographers were asking me about it.  I think they just want a better photo op, but I don’t want to knock over the players or anything.“

"Luffa I _thought_ this was a formal event,” Zatte snarled.  "It’ll be _freezing_ in there!“

"Don’t worry aboout _me_. I brought a jacket,” Luffa said.  "Now come on, we need to get moving or we’ll miss the opening ceremonies.“

She charged forward into the pedestrian traffic, and Zatte could only sigh and follow her lead.

*******

* * *

Luffa had been somewhat surprised with how quickly the time had gone by.  She had little interest in non-combat sports, but the novelty of athletes brandishing sticks on a sheet of ice had kept her amused.  The stadium was a little more than half-full, affording her a nice empty section of seats to set up all the food she had purchased from the concession stand.  And it had been a nice chance to catch up with Zatte, who wore Luffa’s jacket on her shoulders while she had two jerseys from the merchandise store wrapped around her legs.  

She had passed the time by telling Zatte the whole story of her experience with the Tikosi, and her subsequent career as the Legendary Super Saiyan.  She had been dreading it, but at the same time she felt the Dorluns of all people deserved to know the truth.  However, as she told the tale, she found it much easier to get through than she had expected.  For a Saiyan, captivity and torment were shameful enough.  Accepting help from weaker beings was unbearable.  Discovering a wellspring of power too late to do any good with it?  That made things even more bitter.  Talking about it seemed to help put it in the past.  And fortunately, Zatte had been a very attentive listener.

"Look, it’s cliche, but you can’t blame yourself,” Zatte said.  " _I_ blame _my_ self for what happened to the colony, but it just doesn’t hold up.  The Tikosi kicked our asses that day.  We can go over it a million times, but it happened.  If we had known your dad was in league with them, that they were after you too, then yeah, we might have found another way.  But we didn’t know.  We just have to be more careful next time.“

"You’re right,” Luffa said.  She put her feet on the seat in the row in front of her and slouched in her own chair.  "My mother used to tell me there’s no use in fighting battles in your head that you’ve already lost.  It’s just… I’ve got this reputation now.  People think I can do anything.  Sometimes I want to believe it myself.“

"What do the Saiyans think about what you’ve become, Luffa?” Zatte asked.  "I mean, besides your father and Kandai.“

"They all think the same thing I thought about it at first,” Luffa said.  She turned her head away from Zatte and spit.  "If I had just become super strong, that would have been one thing.  They would have been envious, maybe even a little suspicious, but that would have been it.  But I have to transform to access the power, and that crosses a line.  It’s new and different, and that means it disqualifies me from the Saiyan race.  At best, they think I’m some kind of mutant freak.  At worst, they think I’m an alien impostor using the Saiyan reputation for my own purposes.“

” _All of them_ think that way?“ Zatte asked.  "That’s terrible.”

“I’ve met a few of them who see it differently.  Half-Saiyans aren’t so quick to judge, because a lot of them have unusual powers.  I got a marriage proposal from a purebred once.  Not long after Keda and I started doing merc work together.  I guess he was a little _too_ accepting.  But that’s not a road I want to go down right now.”

“Down what road?  A relationship?”

“Before all this happened, I was a weakling among my kind,” Luffa said.  "It was laid out for me pretty well. You land a strong Saiyan man, you make a few brats… and you teach them how to fight.  Well, I tried to follow that plan and this is where I ended up.   I’d say all bets are off from here on out.  I’ve been keeping things really casual.  You know, like you used to do.“

"Me?” Zatte said.  

“Oh, Otta was _crazy_ about you,” Luffa said.  "You must have noticed him checking you out before drills.  All he and I ever talked about was Captain Zatte _-this_ and Captain Zatte _-that_.  I used to wonder why you ignored him, but I get it now.  It’s a marathon, not a sprint.  You take your time, pick your spots.“

"Otta wasn’t really my type,” Zatte said.  

“Exactly,” Luffa said, pointing at her.  "And you _knew it_.  Me, I wasted all that time on Kandai and for what?  Beause he’s a _Saiyan_?  Hah.  Some Saiyan.  Oh, he was nice to look at, sure, but there’s plenty of good-looking aliens out there.  I might as well play the field.“

"So what exactly _are_ you looking for?” Zatte asked.  

Luffa was stymied by this question.  Suddenly her ordeal on the Tikosi Hiveworld seemed much easier to discuss.  "I don’t… what do you mean?“

"Well, I always assumed you were only interested in… you know… Saiyan men.  And now it sounds like you’re ruling _out_ … Saiyan men.”  Every time Zatte paused, Luffa made a slackjawed nod.  "So I just wondered.  If you’re looking for something _different_ … Well, how different are we talking here?“

"That’s… that’s kind of a personal thing,” Luffa said, somewhat flustered.  The tops of her ears began to turn red.  She took her feet off the seat in front of her and sat up straight, more alert than she had been for the entire game.

“You didn’t seem to mind talking about it with _Otta_ ,” Zatte groused.  

“That was different,” Luffa said.  "Otta did most of the talking.  Besides, he was interested in _you_ , not _me_.“

"How is this any different then?” Zatte demanded.  "We’re not talking about _anybody_.  It’s hypothetical!“

"No, it’s _not_ hypothetical!” Luffa insisted.  "You’re asking me for personal private _personal_ information here!  And asking while you parade around in that _outfit_ , it’s completely–“

"If I changed into something else, would that make things _easier_ for you, Luffa?” she asked.  Her good eye gleamed as she studied the Saiyan like a wolf regarding a wounded deer.  "Funny, I thought you liked the dress before–“

Luffa slumped in her chair.  "That’s not what I meant, okay?”

“How do Saiyans even breed, anyway?” Zatte asked.  "The way you make it sound, you’d all rather drop dead than approach each other for that sort of thing.“

"We…” Luffa cleared her throat and closed her eyes.  When she opened them again, the universe still existed, so she was left with no choice but to continue the conversation.  "We all sort of understand how awkward it is,“ she said slowly.  "It simplifies things, I guess.  Usually one Saiyan is more aggressive about it than the other, that guy’s willing to be awkward to get what they want, and that kind of breaks the deadlock.  That’s what I did for Kandai.  I made it plain I was interested, so all he had to do was reciprocate.  I looked dumb for a minute so he wouldn’t have to.  I let him off the hook.”

“I see,” Zatte said.  "That’s good to know.“

They sat in silence for several minutes, watching the game, but not really paying attention.  

"Luffa?” Zatte said.

“What?” Luffa said.

“I’m _freezing my ass off_ over here.  Your jacket isn’t warm enough.  I’m pretty sure you’re not even _cold_ because you’ve been sitting there with a sleeveless shirt this entire time and you haven’t so much as shivered.  Now this armrest between us raises up.  So I’m going to lift it up and scoot over as close to you as I can possibly get.  If you enjoy that sort of thing, good.  But right now I’m too cold to care.  Ready?  Too bad.  Here we go.”

Luffa looked over to her with confusion, but it was too late.  She had already swung the armrest up and had snaked her arm behind Luffa’s back.  It felt like ice.  So did her face when she tucked it between Luffa’s shoulder and neck.  She tensed up at first, then relaxed as Zatte settled into position.  

“Uh… is that better?” Luffa asked.  

“You tell me,” Zatte said.  

Luffa put her arm around Zatte’s shoulder.  "I think I’m really starting to appreciate that dress,“ she said.

*******

_**[14 April 236 Before Age.  Planet Goldwall.]** _

"And so I’ve sent an expeditionary force into the forest to search for rebel activity,” Kandai said, finishing his report.  "Once they find them, their orders are to engage and to contact me immediately.  I can finish them off in one stroke.“

"Well done, Kandai, well done indeed,” Zyd Rayleigh Argon said.  His brutish face twisted into a cruel mockery of a smile, but it was hard to see with his long black hair hanging in front of his cheeks.  "You will take as many of them alive as possible.  They will be flayed in the town square and their hides tanned and used to make a new saddle for my mount, Headwound.“

"Taking prisoners will slow things down considerably, my lord,” Kandai said.  "Some rebels may escape.“

"You have so much to learn, Kandai,” Lord Argon said mirthlessly.  "Your education, like the campaign against the rebels, must be done gradually, _layer by layer_ , square inch by square inch, as befits the proper flaying of a man.  Your Saiyan might sharpens the blade I wield against my enemies, but it is not the blade’s place to demand to be wielded a certain way.  You seek to plunge into the heart of my opponent’s breast, destroying him on a single, decisive strike.“

He gestured with his hands to illustrate his point, but Kandai was fairly sure where this was headed.  

"Whilst _I_ choose to apply the blade _thusly_.” he twisted his wrist, indicating that the imaginary knife in his hand was peeling the surface of its target, rather than a stabbing motion.  "Little by little, I will _flay_ the rebellion, and with each attack, they shall regroup in their hideouts and secret meeting places and suffer the agony I inflict with each strike.“

He turned to look out the large window that looked out toward the forest where the battle was to take place.  Kandai used this moment’s privacy to roll his eyes.  If Argon had simply destroyed the rebellion instead of toying with it, he could have crushed it from the beginning, and he never would have needed Kandai’s help.  Instead, he delayed for his own amusement, giving his enemies time to find an advantage.  In less than half an hour, the rebels would launch an attack on Goldwall Fortress itself.  There were just enough rebels in the forest to give the bulk of Argon’s troops a merry chase, but they were only a diversion.  When the time came, Kandai would turn against the fortress’ defenders and throw open the gates.  The rebels would depose Argon, seize power, and give Kandai what Argon could only promise.  

He wasn’t sure he could trust the rebel leadership, but he knew Argon was too unstable to be reliable.  The only thing Kandai was sure of was that his wife, the Super Saiyan Luffa, would one day come after him, and he  intended to be ready for her.  He had thrown in with Argon because he had claimed to control a mystic warrior known only as the Partner, but the rebels were confident that this was a bluff, since Argon was a usurper, and the Partner was loyal to the rightful ruler of Planet Goldwall.  Kandai had no interest in local politics, and he wasn’t sure whom to believe, but nothing would be settled by a protracted conflict.  One way or another, everything would be made clear.

"I shall be conducting another of my hunts tomorrow,” Argon said.  "I shall be in the kennel, fondling– I mean… _preparing_ my hounds.  Yes, preparing.  That is what I said.  I leave matters in your capable hands, Kandai.“  

When he was gone, Kandai sighed and went to the larder to get something to eat.  No sense facing uncertainty on an empty stomach, he reasoned.  

When he got there, he found a man in a white hooded robe waiting for him.  In his hand was a wooden stick almost as tall as himself.  

"Kandai, is it not?” the man said.  His voice was gentle and rather aloof, but carried a weight of importance nevertheless.  "I have been watching you since you arrived on this world.   In a short time, you have nearly altered the course of history on this planet.“

"Who the hell are you and what do you know about it?” Kandai demanded.  He looked like one of the Goldwallish peoples.  His skin was tawny and he seemed taller than most of the ones he had met, but nothing to suggest he was an alien.  But his costume was unusual, and he doubted that anyone had authorized him to enter the fortress.  

“I am the Guardian of Planet Goldwall,” he said.  "For five hundred years I have kept a watchful eye over the people of this world from my abode in the sky.  Now their petty squabbles threaten to bring doom upon all living things, and I am forced to intervene.“

"All right, so what’s _your_ angle in all of this?” Kandai asked.  He went to the icebox for some mutton.

“My powers are vast, man of the Saiya,” he explained, “yet I am but a minor god in the grand scheme of things, and no match for your spaceborne might.  I am unable to oppose you directly, so I must appeal to your sense of self-preservation.”

“You want to cut a deal,” Kandai said.  He began rubbing the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger.  "I take it this has something to do with the Partner.“

"The magic seal which binds the Partner to this fortress was old before I assumed the mantle of Goldwall’s _Kami_ ,” the Guardian said.  "In the past, I was satisfied that mortals knew better than to risk unleashing him, but your presence on this planet has changed that.  In time, the Partner _will_ be unleashed, whether it is done to defeat you, or your vengeful bride, or the next ruler of this world.  But when that day comes, untold destruction will follow.  I propose an alternative.“

” _Of course you do_ ,“ Kandai groaned.  "All right, out with it.”

“I have studied the mystic runes that seal the Partner.  I believe that I can neutralize the Partner for all time, and prevent him from wreaking havoc.  But to do this, I must replace his presence within the seal.  Someone must take his place.  That someone can be _you_.”

Kandai stared at the Guardian as though he had grown a second head.  "Now why in the _hell_ would I want to do that?“ he demanded.  

"Because you are terrified, because you crave a safe place to hide, and because your fears are entirely justified,” the Guardian said.  "If the Super Saiyan arrived here, in this very hour, she would destroy us all if it suited her purposes.  But the one being she could not destroy would be the Partner, who is sealed away in his mystic realm.  Once summoned, he might well oppose her and survive, but as he is now, he is completely safe from her.“

"Let me get this straight,” Kandai said.  "You want me to become the new Partner.  What do you get out of it?“

"Once the transfer is complete, I can reconfigure the magic spells that generate the seal.  The problem with the Partner is that no one knows to whom he is truly loyal, if anyone.  That knowledge was lost ages ago, along with the secret to dismantling the spells.  But by making you into the new Partner, I would gain access to modify those runes.  Your loyalty would be conferred to me.”

“And what would you do with that?” Kandai asked.  

“Very little,” the Guardian said.  "When the time is right, I will release you from the seal, and send you on your way.  Once you are gone, I could then proceed with dismantling the magics once and for all.  Goldwall would be safe at last.“

”‘When the time is right.’  How long would that be?“ Kandai asked.

"I leave that up to you,” the Guardian said.  "A few weeks, if that would be enough to convince the Super Saiyan that you are dead and beyond her wrath.  A century, if you wish to wait until she dies of old age.   I will be around either way.“

"What if she catches on to your scheme?” Kandai asked.  "She could force you to deliver me right into her hands!“

"There is that possibility,” the Guardian admitted.  "My first duty is to the defense of this world.  I would sacrifice you if it meant preserving its safety.  But I doubt she would ever discover our plan.  You and I would be the only ones who know, and I certainly would not tell.“

Kandai began to sweat.  The attack on the fortress would commence any minute now.  He would have to choose a side, and soon.  He could support the rebels or stick with Argon, but the Guardian’s plan would demand that he abandon them both.  

"How do I know your modification will work?” he demanded.  

“I suppose you _won’t_ know until I’ve tried,” the Guardian answered cooly.  "But in the worst case scenario, my failure would simply leave you back where you started.  You’ve very little to lose.“

"It’ll have to be soon,” Kandai said.  "This place will be a war zone very shortly.   I could pacify the area myself, but I’m trying to keep a low profile, you understand.“

"Perfectly,” the Guardian said.  "I will not need much time, and I am ready to begin immediately.  Your decision, Mister Kandai?“

It was the best offer he’d heard since arriving on the planet.  But it still left much to be desired.  How long would he remain trapped in the seal?  Would he experience the passage of time?  What if Luffa’s powers somehow extended her lifespan?  What if she killed the Guardian in the meantime?  Who would release him then?  Just a few hours ago, he had been contemplating a life with Calgon, the rebel mastermind who schemed to rule with Kandai by her side.  Calgon was treacherous, but she made a fine lover.  He wanted more time to _think_!  

And then he heard the rumble of heavy weapons fire hitting the outer wall of the fortress.  A moment later, the alarms sounded.  The rebel attack had begun.  

Kandai’s time was up.

**NEXT: When the Walls Come Tumblin’ Down….**


	28. Chapter 28

_**[14 April 236 Before Age.  Goldwall]** _

Kandai had come to Goldwall for refuge, for protection.  His wife was the Legendary Super Saiyan, and she wanted him dead.  The one thing in Kandai’s favor was that it was a big universe, and it was fairly easy to hide in if you were willing to swallow your pride and beg others for help.  And so he had come to Goldwall, because he had heard that it was a place where the Super Saiyan had refused to intervene.

No one else was eager to intervene on Goldwall either, and this was because the planet’s ruler supposedly had an ace in the hole.  The world was named for a massive fortress, which supposedly contained an invincible warrior who could be summoned to defend the planet.  He was known colloquially as “The Partner”.  

So Kandai had gone to the world’s ruler and swore an oath of loyalty in exchange for the Partner’s protection.  Simple enough, except the world’s ruler was an inbred lunatic.  Zyd Rayliegh Argon was only lucid when he spoke about his favorite topics: flaying his subjects and his family’s storied tradition of flaying their subjects.  

Soon enough, Kandai found himself in contact with the resistance movement that had been opposing Lord Argon’s rule of the planet.  They were led by a council, but the driving force behind the rebellion was a prostitute named Calgon, who was convinced that she was descended from the rightful rulers of the planet.  She had persuaded Kandai to betray Argon to the rebels, since only she could command the Partner’s loyalty.  At the same time, she persuaded the rebels that any or all of them might be true heirs to the Partner’s power, so as long as they agreed to work together, they could be sure that the Partner would support them if it came down to that.  She played a dangerous game, and that was what Kandai admired about her.  

But there was a _third_ choice, offered at the last minute by a higher authority.  A minor god watched over Planet Goldwall as its Guardian.  This Kami was powerful, but no match for Kandai’s Saiyan strength.  Still, he was sensible enough to realize that the seals which contained the Partner were so ancient and so poorly understood that no one really knew what would happen if the Partner were invoked.  He suggested instead that Kandai help him disarm those magicks by allowing himself to become sealed in the Partner’s place.  This would make the Guardian’s work much simpler, and it would conceal Kandai from his wife’s wrath.  The only trouble was that the Guardian made his pitch just as Calgon was launching an all-out strike on the Fortress, and just as Lord Argon was preparing to neutralize the rebels.  Kandai would be forced to betray two factions to appease the third.  

With no time to make up his mind, he went with the option closest at hand.  And so he had led the venerable Kami down to the bowels of Fortress Goldwall, to the yellow-walled room which housed a crude shrine to the Partner.  In the center of the floor was a circle of dried blood.  Little scrolls hung at seemingly random places on the walls.  A relief sculpture on one wall depicted rows of people bowing down in submission.  The inscription at the bottom read: _THE MASTER REIGNS.  THE PARTNER PROVIDES._

“Get started,” Kandai growled.  

“Yes, of course,” the Guardian said.  "You must stand in the circle here for my plan to succeed.  When I’m finished, you will take the Partner’s place in the seal, and I can free you whenever you wish.“  

"Make it six weeks,” Kandai said.  "Enough time for my trail to get cold, but not so much that I’ll regret it if this goes haywire somehow.“  

The Guardian nodded in agreement and raised his hands above his head.  He began to chant, and his hands glowed with arcane power.

Above their heads, the rumble of weapons fire could be heard from the surface.

*******

* * *

_**[14 April 236 Before Age.  Extraliga]** _

There was a cozy pub not far from the stadium, and Luffa and Zatte managed to find a quiet wooden booth to sit.  Their server dropped off a double order of appetizers and Zatte tore into them with almost as much enthusiasm a Luffa.  

"If I knew you were this hungry, I would have shared some of my nachos with you at the game,” Luffa said.  

“I’ve never had much use for stadium concessions,” Zatte said.  Low quality food for high prices.  I meant to get some dinner before we met up, but the dress took longer than I planned.“

"So are you warmed up yet?” Luffa asked.  

Zatte took one of Luffa’s arms and guided it around her shoulders.  "Not quite,“ she said.  

"Fair enough,” Luffa said.  She devoted her remaining hand to eating.  

“You know, I’ve been meaning to mention,” Zatte said.  "There may be a life support malfunction on your ship.  My quarters were a little chilly this morning.  It might take a while for a repair team to diagnose, but in the meantime, I think this would make a decent stopgap measure, if I can borrow you for the night.“

"Um… in your quarters.”

“Interested?” Zatte asked.

“Uh… Keda and the doc are on board,” Luffa said.  

“I _know_ that,” Zatte said.  "I was _planning_ to close the door.“

"I just… they’ll notice what’s going on between us.  Sooner or later.  That’s all.  What do we tell them?”

“What do you _want_ to tell them?” Zatte asked.  

“Nothing,” Luffa said frankly.  "It’s awkward enough talking to _you_ about it.  You should have told me how you felt before.“

"The last time I saw you was on Dorlu Prime, and you were married,” Zatte said.  "Hell, maybe you still are.  I’m not familiar with Saiyan divorce law.  Anyway, I figured if you weren’t into girls, there was no point bringing it up, and if you _were_ , then I sure as hell couldn’t tell.  I thought maybe you were trying to keep it that way.“

"Nah, it just worked out that way,” Luffa said.  She took a swig of her drink and set the stein down on the table with a thud.  "If I hadn’t married so young, I might have been more up-front about it, but once I got together with Kandai I didn’t see the point.  Hell, Kandai’s the only reason anyone on Dorlu knew I was into guys.   My people don’t broadcast this sort of thing.  Anyway, I didn’t think I had any secret admirers.“

"Fair enough,” Zatte said.  "Just making sure I have the lay of the land.“

"So why throw yourself at me now?” Luffa asked.  

“Because we nearly died on Dorlu Prime,” Zatte said.  "Because we each thought the other was dead, and when I found out you weren’t, I decided life’s too damn short.  I should have just come out and said it on Kaloon, but you’re tough to read.  And I guess you’re not the only one who gets anxious when it comes to this sort of thing.“

"How serious do you want to make this, exactly?” Luffa said.  "I mean, I’ve been around the block a few times since Kandai, okay?  I know how this stuff works.  Doesn’t have to be long-term.“

"Let’s just see where it goes,” Zatte said.  "For now, we’re just two soldiers hanging out–“

”–catching up on old times–“ Luffa added.

”–taking in a hockey game, nothing major,“ Zatte said.

"Sharing some appetizers, because we’re hungry, dammit,” Luffa said. “It doesn’t have to mean anything.”

“You and me, this is informal,” Zatte said.  

“Low stakes,” Luffa said.  

“I’m glad we’re on the same page,” Zatte said.  

“I’d _really_ like to rip that dress right off you,” Luffa said.  

“Looking forward to that myself,” Zatte said.  

********

* * *

 _ **[14 April 236 Before Age.  Goldwall]**_

Hours later, the Guardian was still working on his task.  Kandai could do nothing but wait, and use his _ki_ senses to try to get some idea what was happening on the surface.   He needn’t have bothered, however, since the major players began to come to him.   

“There’s still a chance,” Lord Argon muttered as he raced into the room, his robes still smoking from laser fire.  “I can summon the Partner, destroy them all!  Then I can flay– Kandai!   What are you doing down here?   The fortress is under attack!” 

“There you are!” Calgon shouted as she arrived just behind him.  Elder Eragon was with her, a sure sign that the rebels had managed to take the fortress, even without Kandai’s assistance.  They never would have brought a civilian leader like him into a battle unless it was winding down.  She grabbed Argon’s arm and shoved the barrel of her laser pistol into his back.  “I might have known you would head down here to try and stop us, but it’s too late for that now.”  

“No!” Argon cried.   “Kandai, stop them!” 

“What are you doing, Kandai?” Calgon asked.  “You missed your cue when we started the attack.  Fortunately, I anticipated that kind of setback, and we managed to win anyway.  You wouldn’t be trying to usurp the Partner for yourself, would you?  Who’s your friend?”

“No one,” Kandai grumbled.  “Stay back.”

“Like hell,” Calgon said.  She shoved Argon to the ground and stormed over to the circle of blood where the Saiyan stood.   “I can understand that you wouldn’t trust me, but I won’t let you take control of the Partner, not when I’m so close.    He belongs to me!” 

“No!” Argon protested.  “He’s my partner.  He’s my partner!” 

“He won’t obey any of you!” the Guardian insisted.  “He’s too dangerous.  That’s why I am going to dismantle the spells that trap him behind that wall.”  

  
“You trust _him_?” Calgon demanded.   “Kandai, we both need the Partner.  At least with me you know my agenda.  Come with me and we can discuss this–” 

Without realizing it, she had stepped on the dried blood that comprised the circle.  

“No!” the Gaurdian cried.  “You’ve unbalanced my spell!”

Calgon was going to ask what that meant, but a high pitched whine drowned out her voice.  The runes surrounding the wall glowed with a preternatural light.  They shone brighter and brighter, and just when it seemed that they would never stop, they vanished completely.  Every talisman and sacred inscription in the room was suddenly gone, as though they had never existed at all.  

All of them now stood in a featureless room, surrounded by nothing but orpiment-colored walls on all sides.  

“What happened?” Elder Eragon asked.  

“Nothing,” Calgon said.  "The seal is gone.  If the Partner was ever real, he’s lost to us now.“

"No!” Argon cried.  "The Partner is real!  The inscriptions were true!  The Master Reigns!  The Partner provides!  The Partner provides!“

"Oh be quiet,” Calgon said.  She walked across the empty room as though taking inventory of all the nothingness.  "It’s over.  For better or worse, Goldwall will have to live in a new era without its boogeyman to protect it.  You may as well go back to your Lookout, Lord Gaurdian.  The rebellion will rule from now on.  If you have any objections to that, you’ll need to discuss them with my lover…“

"I am the Kami of the entire planet of Goldwall, Calgon.  Your temporal rule of its sapient population is of no concern to me,” the Guardian said.  "My work here appears to be complete, though not quite in the way I had intended.  I would– eh?“

The floor began to shake under their feet, and then they all noticed Kandai trembling violently.  His ki was rising, his fists were clenched tightly, and his teeth bared for all to see.  

"Nothing…” he growled in a low, angry voice.  "It was all… for nothing!“

Calgon reached out to comfort him.  "Kandai, we’ve won.  Yes, the Partner didn’t turn out the way we wanted, but we have the planet, and soon we’ll–”

He struck her so quickly that no one saw him move.  Calgon found herself on the floor, blood trickling from her mouth.  

“None of that matters, you unctuous little wench!” Kandai shouted.  He regained some of his composure, but only enough to stop the room from shaking.  Elder Eragon knelt down to help Calgon to her feet, but they both kept their eyes on Kandai, as though finally seeing him for the first time.  

“All I wanted was refuge from the Super Saiyan!” he howled.  "You simpering dolts all made your foolish bargains but none of you were ever really able to meet my price, were you?!  Well what makes you think I’m going to just stand here and let any of you walk away with your lives, eh?   I have half a mind to destroy this entire planet!“

"Just a moment,” the Guardian said, but Kandai knocked him to the floor with a single kick.  

“Shut up!” he screamed.  "All of you shut up!  That glowing yellow bitch is out there somewhere and she wants me dead!  Me!  None of you get it, do you?!  I’m the only one here who matters!  I’ve put up with your stupid little games an listened to your cheap reassurances, but only because I thought there was the slightest chance that any of you could make me safe again!  Now I have to run again.  Now I have to hide again!  And you’d just love that, wouldn’t you?!  Once I’m out of the way you can go back to your pathetic little power struggle!  Well it doesn’t work that way, kids, and the funny thing is, it never did!“

He raised his hands and formed a sphere of white energy in his hands.   None of them said anything.  They didn’t know what to say, or how to stop him.  And so they watched in helpless awe.

"If I have to go back to skulking in the shadows like a cockroach to stay alive, then I damn sure won’t let any of you live to see it!” he screeched.  "I’m going to kill every last one of you!  I’ll destroy this fortress!  I’ll scour the surface of this wretched planet until every last Goldwallish is dead!  That’ll be my message to the universe!  Protect me!  Protect me from Luffa or I’ll kill your world!  Until I’m safe, no one is!  No one!  You hear me!“

"No!”

Kandai stopped raving just long enough to notice that it was Argon who now defied him.  It only made sense, after all.  The rest of them, even the divine Guardian, had resigned themselves to their fate.  Lord Argon was the only one crazy enough to think he still had a say in the matter.

“I am the Lord of this Gilded Fortress,” he shouted.  "I am Zyd of the House of Argon, Lord of the world of Goldwall!  You have sworn allegiance and fealty to me and I forbid you to destroy my domain!  Stand down, Noble Saiyan, or I shall have you flayed for your insolence!“

Kandai laughed, and he willed away the energy sphere he had created.  "You’re too much, Argon, you really are,” he said.  He appproached the mad regent and grabbed him by the shoulders.  "I thought you were nuts before, but now I see that you’re stupid too.“

"I warn you, Kandai, my sword is sharp–”

“See, I want to make sure no one misunderstands my policy here,” Kandai said softly.  "The others get it.  They’re dead, because they wrote a check they couldn’t cash.  But I want that lesson to be unmistakably simple, so even a comatose infant can figure it out.  So before I start destroying your entire planet, I’m going to start rippig off parts of your body until you admit that you’re not in charge here anymore.“

"The Master Reigns,” Argon insisted.  "The Partner Provides!“

"We’ll start with your ears, I think,” Kandai said.  "You know, Rayleigh, if you’re so hot on the Partner, maybe you should call him by name.  Maybe he can hear you, but he’s waiting to make sure you’re talking to him.  Heh.  Yeah, that’d be rich.   How about you tell me all about that useless sack of crap while I eat you alive?“

Kandai put his hands on each of Argon’s ears and tightened his grip.  Argon whimpered with terror, but struggled to maintain his resolve.  "A-all I have to say is…” he stammered.  

“Go on, I’m listening,” Kandai said.  He began to pull slowly, just hard enough to make it hurt before he followed through.  

Argon raised his voice.  "All I have to say is… Our Partner is going to shock the world because he is none other than _THE SHOCKMASTER_!“

Kandai didnt have time to react.  Without warning, the wall that had once borne the inscriptions and talismans burst open, and a massive figure smashed through.  An explosion seemed to come from nowhere as he emerged, and the space that lay on the other side of the wall was simply a profound blackness.  

Kandai took one look at the creature and released Argon immediately.

"I told you,” Argon muttered.  

“Oh God,” Elder Eragon said mournfully.  

Kandai turned to face the creature.  He looked like an enormous humanoid man.  His build was powerful but lacking the tone and definition of Kandai’s Saiyan physique.  His massive gut was partially obscured by a pair of denim pants and a black, sleeveless longcoat.  His head was completely obscured by a grotesque helmet.  It looked like it was made of glittering silver, and the lighting of the room reflected a hundred tiny stars in its surface.  But this beauty was undone by the hideous parody of a face carved into the mask.  Large, blank eyes stared out from beneath a heavy, savage brow.  A wide frowning mouth stretched across the lower part.  The helmet itself tapered out at the bottom, producing an alien-looking “chin”.  Long black hair extended from underneath the helmet, and this was the only sign that there was a more normal-looking head contained inside.  

As the being stood before the astonished onlookers, he rubbed his hands together and nodded excitedly.  When he finally spoke, a sinister voice thundered from everywhere at once.  

 **“SO YOU’RE THE MAN THAT RULES THE WORLD?”** he asked.   **“THEY CALL ME… THE _SHOCKMASTER_.  YOU’VE RULED THE WORLD LONG ENOUGH, RAYLEIGH ARGON.  GET READY.  COME ON, YOU WANT A PIECE OF ME?  YOU WANT A PIECE OF ME?!  COME AND GET ME.  COME AFTER ME, ZYD.  I’M READY.”  **

Lord Argon was heartbroken.  "It cannot be,“ he whispered. "You were my partner… my partner…”

“It’s worse than I feared,” the Guardian said to himself.  

“It can’t be that bad,” Calgon said.  "There has to be something–“

But the Guardian merely gestured to Kandai to make his point.  The Saiyan, who only a moment ago had been ready to exterminate the entire planet, had suddenly lost his nerve.  Drained of all hope, he dropped to his knees, and stared at the Shockmaster in stunned silence.  

The only sound after that was the deep, gravelly laughter of the Shockmaster.  It was a laugh of triumph, borne from the confidence that no living thing could possibly stop him.

* * *

__

_**[15 April 236 Before Age.  In orbit over Extraliga.]** _

Aboard the star-yacht, in the master bedroom, Luffa lay on the circular mattress and contemplated her situation.  

"I think I’m happy,” she said aloud.  

“Good, that means I must have done _something_ right,” Zatte said as she walked across the room.  She had on the same bodysuit she had worn the day she had revealed herself to Luffa, but she was still in the process of putting the entire outfit back on.  "Where’s my other earring?  I know I left it somewhere…“

"No, I’m serious,” Luffa said.  "I’ve been struggling to stay on an even keel ever since I first went Super Saiyan.  I’ve felt good, I’ve even laughed out loud more than once.  But most of the time I was just surly and frustrated.   Sometimes guilty or ashamed.  But this is _different_.“

"Luffa, you got _laid_ ,” Zatte said.  "There’s a reason everyone wants to do that.  I can’t stand there with just one earring in.  That’s sloppy.  Maybe I dropped it in my boot.“

"That’s not what I mean,” Luffa said.  She rolled over and looked up to find Zatte considerably more clothed than herself.  "Where are you going?“ she asked. "We just got back to the ship a little while ago.”

“Luffa, it’s 0900,” Zatte said.  "You fell asleep.“

"I slept _all night_?” Luffa said.  

“Well not _all_ night, and I’m grateful for that, but somewhere around 0100 you nodded off.”

“I haven’t slept eight hours in over a year,” Luffa said.  "That settles it.  I’m happy.“

"My condolences,” Zatte said.  "Now get up and help me find my other earring.“

"But I _shouldn’t be_ happy,” Luffa said.  "My enemies are still alive, I still don’t have a worthy adversary to fight, and I never really got over what I went through on the Tikosi Hiveworld.  Oh, and if I look at a full moon, I might explode.  I forgot that one.  I’m not supposed to be happy until I get all that crap straightened out.“

"I’m no expert, Luffa,” Zatte said, “but I’m pretty sure it doesn’t work that way.  You don’t get to pick which days you feel good or bad.  So you take the good times when they come, and hope they’ll last.”

“Yeah,” Luffa said.  "Maybe you’ve got something there.  I’ve got my ship, my friends, my career’s going well.  I’m the strongest Saiyan of all, go me.  I _did_ get laid recently–“ She pointed both of her index fingers to Zatte, who returned the gesture.   ”–and someone special just came back into my life.  Maybe I should appreciate what I have.  It’s just been so long since I felt like I could really do that…“

Zatte pulled on her other boot, and stood before Luffa fully dressed.  "How do I look?” she asked, holding out her hands to complete the presentation.  

“Beautiful,” Luffa said without hesitation.  "Just like you did the last time you wore that getup.  Even if it is kind of showy.  Now where are you off to in such a rush?“

"I have an appointment later, and I just want to be ready,” Zatte said.  "You can come along if you like.  I was thinking of taking this dinghy.“

"Dinghy?” Luffa asked.  

“You didn’t know?  I looked over the ship’s schematics one day.  The master bedroom is designed to serve as  a separate vessel.  Like a luxury escape pod, or maybe so you can tell people you have two spaceships instead of just one.”  She walked over to a control panel on one of the walls and pointed to it.  "You can separate from the main hull and control this module from here.“  

"Huh. Well maybe we ought to try it out,” Luffa said.  "Might come in handy sometime.“

Zatte took her cropped military jacket off the hook and put it on.  "Now, let’s see.  Am I forgetting anything?   Oh, of _course_.  How careless of me.”

She returned to the bed in the center of the room and sat down beside Luffa.  "I forgot to kiss you goodbye,“ she said.  

Zatte leaned down and remedied that oversight.   Luffa enjoyed the way she went about it.  Zatte made her way down to her jaw, then started working on her neck.  She even nibbled at it from time to time, which was a nice touch.  As she moved down to her shoulder, she paused to lick the area in between, and started to bite a little harder.  

"Ow,” Luffa said.  "Getting a little aggressive, huh?  Well that’s… _ah_!  _Agghh!_ “

Zatte had bitten her hard enough to break the skin.  In fact, Luffa thought she could feel her teeth cutting into her trapezius muscle.  It wasn’t the bite that shocked her, though.  It was the burning sensation that seemed to emanate from the site of the wound.  It was like Zatte had injected acid into her body.  And she hadn’t stopped yet.

Luffa shrieked in pain.   She raised her hands to shove the Dorlun away, but suddenly they felt very heavy.  Nothing seemed to work the way it was supposed to.  In the meantime, the burning sensation continued to work its way  throughout her body.  Zatte didn’t move.  She simply wrapped her arms and legs around Luffa’s prone body, clenched her jaw, and made a gutteral chuckling noise every so often.  This continued for several agonizing minutes.

At last, when Luffa felt the burning sensation from her scalp all the way to her toes did Zatte release her.  When she stood up and regarded Luffa, she had a twisted smile on her face.  Her canines had become longer, more like fangs now.  And the once-green iris of her good eye had become a furious shade of bright red.

"Have you ever heard of the Black Water Mist, Luffa?” Zatte asked.  She walked to the control panel and began tapping buttons on the display.  "Nasty stuff.  Demons use it to corrupt hapless mortals.  Once you inhale it, it sort of stays in your blood, and it _changes_ you.“

Luffa could only hyperventilate in response.  She felt the deck of the bedroom shudder, and guessed that Zatte had launched it from the main hull of the yacht.  

Zatte returned to the bed and leaned over Luffa, who began to foam at the mouth.  "But you don’t have to _breathe_ the mist to become infected.  Oh no.  See, if an infected person bites you, she can spread the mist into your bloodstream.  But I suppose you already know what that’s like.”

She smiled and patted Luffa on the cheek.  Luffa’s eyes were wide open and her body began to convulse violently.   A cold sweat broke out on her face.

“Long story short, I was exposed to the Mist about a year and a half ago, and I’ve been working for my demon masters ever since.  See, the mist strips away all that _pesky_ morality, Luffa.  All the evil tendencies you’ve been resisting, they take over.  It makes things a _lot_ more fun.  I know, I know, this part kind of sucks, but once the mist takes _hold_ , you’ll see what I mean.”

Zatte laid down beside Luffa and began stroking the fur on her tail.  

“You can finally stop worrying about what doesn’t matter, and focus on what you want.  That’s why I tracked you down, you see.  Because I wanted _you_ , and now I _have_ you.  It took a while to gain your confidence, but I didn’t want to risk you turning Super and killing me before I could properly infect you.”

Luffa managed to raise her hand.  It shook as she moved it towards Zatte’s face, and Zatte gently took it into her own hands and caressed the inside of her wrist.  

“Of course, I wouldn’t be surprised if your Saiyan physiology turned out to be resistant to the Mist.  I’ll just have to bite you several more times to be safe.  But I think that this is one chore I’m going to _enjoy_ …”

With that, she sank her teeth into the veins on Luffa’s forearm.  The dinghy’s computer automatically engaged the course Zatte had programmed in.  By the time anyone knew they had left, they were long gone.   

**NEXT: Fade to Black.**


	29. Chapter 29

**Disclaimer:** This story features characters and concepts based on _Dragon Ball_ , which is a trademark of Bird Studio/Shueisha and Toei Animation. this is an unauthorized work, and no profit is being made on this work by me. This story is copyright of me. Download if you like, but please don’t archive it without my permission. Don’t be shy.

 **Continuity Note:** About 1000 years before the events of _Dragon Ball Z._

**_R ** _ū_** fa ****: Densetsu no Sūpā Saiya-jin_ wa [CLEAR EYES](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DRcH-3d-BZn4&t=ZWMzNWU2NmQyM2NkNjYxMGE5MTZkNDdmM2ZhODI5ZTQzYTMzNzU0MSx6UnRtU1JyWg%3D%3D) to goran no suponsaa no teikyou de o-okuri shimasu.**

**[16 April 236 Before Age.  AS974-C.]**

Darkness.

The uncharted planet had been devoid of intelligent life until the two spacecraft touched down near the planet’s southern pole.  It was winter there, but the planet’s proximity to its sun made even the polar regions quite torrid.  The skies were thick with clouds, so even the stars themselves had forsaken this night.  

The first ship was a small, private craft, a module from a larger vessel.  There were only two aboard.  The second ship was a light cruiser which had been tracking the first ship for several hours, and now at long last their quarry had gone to ground.  Setting down a hundred yards from the first ship, the second opened its main hatch and her ten-person crew emerged.  

They were Saiyans, but not just any Saiyans.  Even among that warrior race, they prided themselves on being among the mightiest.  Any one of them could conquer a planet single-handedly.  Together, they were nearly unstoppable.  There were eight men and two women in the party.  All of them wore dark blue uniforms, which identified them as elite soldiers of King Rehval’s personal guard.

“I don’t sense anything.  Are we sure they survived the landing?”

“Sensors showed two life signs before they entered the planet’s atmosphere, and the telemetry on their ship doesn’t square with a crash.”

“All right, fan out and search.  Until we confirm a pair of corpses we assume they’re alive and that this is some kind of trap.”

“I don’t like this, Soko,” one of the women said as she waved her flashlight around the tropical vegetation that covered the landing site. “We had an advantage up there.  We should have disabled their ship and forced her to surrender in space.  Any confrontation in a breathable atmosphere gives her the edge.”

“Getting cold feet, Navila?” Soko asked.  "His majesty’s orders were to track this ‘Super Saiyan’ down and _finish her_ once and for all.  I’ve been hunting this woman for months, and I won’t settle for anything less than a confirmed kill.“  

"Besides, don’t you want to see this freak face-to-face, Navila?”

“Not if she’s as strong as they say,” Navila said.  "She may not be a true Saiyan, but we’ll still have our work cut out for us.“

"Hah!  One alien impostor against all ten of _us_?  Those are my kind of odds.  You sure do know how to have a good time, Soko.”

“Cut the chatter.  I have a visual.”  

Despite their swagger, they were still professional soldiers.  With a single gesture from Soko, the other nine took up positions around the ship and looked around for signs of life.  Finally one of them examined the hull and reported that the hatch was still locked from the inside.  Soko ordered Navila to force it open.  

“Ten credits says they’re both dead.  They knew we’d shoot them down, so they landed here and committed suicide before we could get to them.”

“Nah, it’s another one of her tricks.  If she can mimic a Saiyan, she can probably conceal her energy too.  She’s hoping we’ll give up and leave so she can escape.”

“Hey, if you’re scared, Navila, I can come over there and hold your hand.”  

“Shut up,” Navila muttered as the rest of them laughed.  "We all know why _I’m_ the one doing this.  I’m the only one in this outfit with any guts.“  She grabbed the outer edges of the hatch and with a slight motion that belied the incredible force behind it, she yanked the hatch free of the hull.  

There was only darkness to greet her inside.  Main power had been shut off.  She tossed the hatch aside and took the flashlight from her belt to get a better look.  There was a mattress in the center of the deck, but it had been torn open and the cushioning inside strewn all around.  The sheets were slashed to ribbons.  Other furniture lay around the deck in similar condition.  But no bodies.  

"Looks to be empty, Soko,” she reported.  Maybe it was unmanned from the start, and there was some device on board sending out false life signs.“

"A decoy?  Hell,” Soko grumbled.  "All right, get in there and check it out.  Vocad, Purtin, give her a hand.  Everyone else keep an eye out.  This could still be a setup.“

Navila perched on the entrance port of the ship and looked back at her commander.  "Now who’s nervous?” she teased.  "Relax, Soko.  The one thing we know for sure about the 'Super Saiyan’ is that she glows like a damn torch.  We’d see her coming a hundred miles away.  But there’s nothing _here_ except darkn–“

*******

**[16 April 236 Before Age.  Planet Wist.]**

"I’ve seen enough.”

Scotch Woodcock had come to Goldwall for old time’s sake.  In his younger days, the planet had been a decent place to stop and unwind between adventures.  He and his mates used to enjoy downing bottles of whiskey at the Coque o'Dwd pub in Lordsanchor-on-Foggycwm.  House Argon ruled the planet with an iron fist, but they tended to give his people a wide berth.  They didn’t stick around long enough to cause any permanent damage, and they were strong enough that it was nearly impossible to make them leave a place until they were good and ready.  

But Goldwall had changed.  Despite a respectable place in the interstellar community, its society had always looked and acted and stank like what one might expect to find in a medieval backwater.  Woodcock could attest to this, as he had just spent a good deal of time on a medieval backwater called Earth, availing himself of its female population.  But Earth was a primitive world, unaware that there was anything in the sky except sparkling lights.  Goldwall had a spaceport and plasma rifles and so forth.   The Goldwallish could purchase an electric razor from the other end of the galaxy, but for whatever reason they all wore at least a day’s stubble on their faces.  It was part of the local character, or at least it had been until two days ago.  

Woodcock had arrived this morning to find a spaceport that looked like a chromium-plated diner, filled with cheerful workers who all dressed in sharp business outfits made from silver lamé.  They all smiled and said “yes sir” and “no sir” and acted as though it had been this way all along, and goodness no, the spaceport had certainly never been a dreary, dungeon-looking place with heavy iron chains and garish chandeliers.  And it wasn’t called Planet Goldwall anymore.  No, everyone insisted it was Planet Wist.

He had traveled to Lordsanchor and saw entire forests inexplicably free of the rebels who had been plotting against House Argon for decades.  One wooded area had even been set aside as a nature preserve.   The village itself was under renovation, presumably to conform with the aesthetic imposed on the major cities.  Half the buildings were being demolished, while the rest all bore large plastic tarps and scaffolding.  

The Coque o'Dwd was one of these.  Woodcock and his mates had joked that he only fancied the pub because they had named it in his honor.  As the years passed, he found he could no longer remember the real reason.  He supposed other inns and taverns held similar charms.  A warm fireplace, stout ales, wood-paneled everything, one of those rustic-looking chess boards no one ever seemed to play.  But this one was special, for whatever reason, like an old pair of boots or a starship that handled just the way you were used to.  Now, the pub was slowly being converted into a gleaming metal cafeteria.

“Seen enough of what, Scottie?” asked Estragon, the bartender.  She had been running the place for seventy years, and she still insisted on cleaning the steins with a cloth rag all by herself.  Woodcock wondered how much longer that arrangement would last.

“This 'wistification’ rot is what,” Woodcock muttered.  He scratched the thick muttonchop beard that traversed the leathery skin of his face.  "Think I might pay a visit to the courthouse and register my displeasure.“

"Now Scottie, you do no such thing,” Estragon said.  Her tone was half-scolding, half-pleading.  "You’re too old to be causing a ruckus, and House Argon isn’t in power anymore.  They only tolerated your old tricks because they knew you’d leave after a few days.“

"Oh, I think the new blokes will appreciate my point of view, love,” Woodcock said.  He tipped his black, wide-brimmed hat just enough to reveal the third eye located in the center of his forehead.  "Not like you to be so rattled by the establishment, though.  Lord Argon kicks the bucket and you’re suddenly impressed by his successor?“

"It wasn’t like that,” Estragon insisted.  "Lord Argon abdicated, and he and the rebel leaders agreed to  a smooth transition of power.  The insurgency is over, Scottie.  The new government is more focused than ever.  You wanted to know how so much change could happen overnight, well there’s your answer, isn’t it?  House Argon was too weak to impose sweeping reform on this scale, but it was always possible.  The resources were always there.  The people were always willing.“

"Bollocks,” Woodcock said.  "Ruddy planet never heard of 'wistificiation’ before, so don’t tell me they were bloody looking forward to it.“

Several people in the pub began to turn and look in his direction.  Woodcock could see them, even though his back was turned to them.  His third eye could see a lot of things, even when it was concealed beneath his hat.  

"Keep your voice down, Scottie,” Estragon said.  "Maybe you want trouble, but I sure don’t.  Anyway it’s not 'wistification’, it’s 'rewistification.’  The Partner Provides, and he’s shown us how to restore this planet to the way it used to be back in the days of the ancient Wist civilization.  We’re making the planet great again, like it used to be!“

"Funny,” Woodcock said as he stared down at his plate.  "Way it used to be, a man could belly up to the bar and tuck into a chicken or two.  Least that’s how I remember it.  Back when it was great.“

"Poultry is illegal on Planet Wist, offworlder!”  One of the other patrons had decided to stick his nose in their conversation.  

“That right?” Woodcock asked.  Without turning around, he reached into his denim vest for a cigar, then fished through his pockets for his lighter.  

“It is, and smoking is forbidden as well!” said another man who had heard enough of Woodcock’s remarks.   When he ignored the man and produced his lighter, the man grabbed for his shoulder.  "Didn’t you hear what I said?!“  

In the instant he touched Woodcock’s shoulder, the fight began.  He grabbed the man’s wrist and flung him over the bar, sending him crashing into the shelves of bottles on the wall.  The second man tried to draw a plasma rifle holstered in his belt, but Woodcock turned and tipped the brim of his hat.  His three eyes gleamed with white light, and the man found himself unable to move.  Woodcock crossed the distance between them and put him down with a right cross.  

In seconds, others rushed from their seats to join the fray.  Woodcock raised his fists and smiled.  

"Reckon I owe you an apology, love,” he called out to Estragon.  "Place is starting to feel more like the old days already!“

*******

**[16 April 236 Before Age.  AS974-C.]**

Soko and his team of elite Saiyans were formidable warriors.  They were smart, disciplined, well-coordinated, and ready to fight under any circumstances, no matter the odds.  

They were all dead in less than fifteen seconds.  

Once, the Super Saiyan might have toyed with them a while longer.  She would have transformed and used her glowing yellow hair to announce her presence, and she might have withheld her full power to gauge the full extent of their abilities.  She might have even allowed them to land a few blows just to make things more interesting, or let a few of them to run for the nearby hills and regroup for a counterattack.  She might have even let them go, so they could report their failure to the Saiyan King and relay a message that the Super Saiyan was not to be trifled with.  

Once, but no longer.  

The Super Saiyan had been changed, infected with a mystic poison that stripped away trivial morals like sportsmanship, honor, and restraint.  Even in her untransformed state, she was more than powerful enough to leap out of the spacecraft with enough speed to rip Navila’s body in half.  There was no golden glow to warn the others.  By the time they heard the awful sound of their comrade being bisected, the Super Saiyan was twisting the head of a second victim until his neck was broken.  By the time Navila’s blood had splattered on Vocad’s face, the Super Saiyan had driven her left hand between his ribs and severed his aorta.  

The rest of the battle was little more than the remaining seven struggling to react.  Unable to sense their assailant’s life energy, they waved their flashlights in a desperate attempt to acquire a target.  But she was a creature of darkness now, and so she danced and weaved between the beams of light, and then she stole the light from her enemies once and for all, gouging out their eyes with such speed that they were blind before they could even resist.  She spent the next ten seconds crushing throats, bludgeoning skulls, and ripping out vital organs.  When the last of them was dead, she got down on her hands and knees and and lapped at the pool of blood that was forming beneath his remains.

"I’m so proud of you, Luffa.”

She turned and made a guttural noise in the direction of the voice, but made no move to attack.  She recognized this one.  This one was also of the darkness.  This one had led her into the darkness only a short time ago.  Luffa could only feel gratitude and admiration towards this one.  Her one true desire, her Zatte.  

“A true Saiyan would have never allowed me to hide your _ki_ from your enemies,” Zatte said.  "Your stubborn pride would have insisted on fighting them in the open, as if the outcome would have been any different.“  

Luffa continued to lap up the blood, and she felt Zatte kneeling down to put her arm around Luffa’s torso. In the low illumination of the scattered flashlights, she saw Zatte dip one of her fingers into the blood and taste for herself.  

"But the Black Water Mist has _changed_ you, hasn’t it?” Zatte whispered into her ear.  "Now your lust for violence is completely unfettered.   It’s so much _better_ this way, isn’t it?  But I know you’re frightened.“  

She grabbed Luffa by the hair and pulled her upright so she could embrace her.  "You’re worried because you know the others will try to change you _back_ somehow.  You’re worried that there’s an antidote or a cure of some kind, and they’ll use it to make you _care_ again.  For all you knew, these Saiyans could have been armed with that antidote, and they might have used it on you.  But you attacked them anyway, because you wanted to protect _me_.   It was very brave of you, darling.  I’ll never forget it.”

She held her tightly, and Luffa grunted softly, letting the blood dribble down her chin.  Truthfully, she _had_ been worried.  Zatte knew her too well.  The same darkness flowed through their veins.  

Zatte kissed her on the forehead and smiled.  "It’s all right, my heart.  You have nothing to worry about.  There _is_ an antidote to the Black Water Mist, but it has to be used within twenty-four hours of exposure.  After that, it’s useless against us.  Don’t you see?  That was why I took us so far off course.  I know you want to meet our master and bask in his evil presence, but just imagine what you might have done if someone had followed us and cured you!  Why, you might have _killed him_ in your righteous anger!  You might have killed _me_!  But it’s all right.  I’ve taken care of everything.  Come back to the ship and I’ll show you.“

Luffa rose to her feet and followed Zatte back inside.  Zatte restored the ship’s main power and they both winced at the sudden brightness.  

"Computer, report the time,” Zatte commanded.  

“The current time is 0941,” the computer replied in a cool, artificial voice.  

Luffa stared at Zatte and a twisted smile began to spread across her bloodstained face.  

“Yes, that’s right,” Zatte said with a triumphant laugh.  "I bit you at 0906 yesterday morning.  The infection became permanent thirty-five minutes ago.“  She took Luffa’s hands in hers and held them firmly.  "You will _never_ be free of the Black Water Mist, Luffa!  From this moment on you and I will be trapped in the darkness _forever_!”

They celebrated with a kiss.  Twenty minutes later, their vessel took off, leaving behind death and horror in its wake.  

**NEXT: Damage Case  
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_“Put it away, Mr. Stein.  It’s too late.”_

_“Well that is unfortunate.”_


	30. Chapter 30

**[23 April 236 Before Age.  Extraliga.]**

“This is bad,” Keda said.  "Really bad.“

"We will get through this, Keda,” Dr. Topsas said.  

“I just wish we could bring more people in to help us,” Keda said.  

“The Federation authorities have been very helpful so far,” Topsas said.  He looked out the large window of the waiting room and saw a dozen workers crawling around the surface of Luffa’s star-yacht.   Most of them were examining the conspicuous hole where the vessel’s spacious master bedroom had been.   The ship was designed so that the owner could launch this portion of the yacht like a shuttlecraft or an escape pod.  So while the main hull remained in tact, it still looked like some giant had come along and scooped out a chunk of it.

“Yes, they’ve been investigating what happened with the ship, and there’s a search party looking for the module, but none of them know what’s really going on here,” Keda said.  

“I must confess that I fail to understand it myself, Ms. Keda,” Topsas replied.  "We both know for a fact that Ms. Luffa and Ms. Zatte were aboard the module when it launched.   Why withhold that information from the authorities?   It would only motivate their efforts.“

"It’s not that simple, doctor,” Keda sighed.  "Luffa founded the Federation by convincing the member worlds to stop fighting each other and work together under her protection.   Her purpose was to build an alliance so that if war ever broke out in this part of space again, it would be a big enough conflict to satisfy her.“

"And if the member worlds should benefit from the peace and cooperation, so be it,” Topsas said.  "I believe that was how she explained it to me.“

"The point is that this whole thing hinges on her, and her reputation as an invincible warrior.   People want to join the Federation because they see her as the winning side.  But if word gets out that she’s gone missing–”

“The house of cards will collapse,” Topsas concluded.   “But surely the truth will out eventually.   When they find her–”

“If they find her, and soon, it won’t be a problem at all,” Keda said.  "Luffa might be embarrassed, but she’ll still be the Legendary Super Saiyan.  She can talk her way out of the scandal and no harm done.   But it’s been a week since she and Zatte went missing, and _we_ couldn’t find them back when the trail was warm.  If that module doesn’t turn up, and people realize Luffa was on it, then they’ll begin to talk.“

"They’ll think she’s abandoned them,” Topsas said.

“Or that she’s more vulnerable than she appears,” Keda said.   “If this is the result of enemy action, that means there’s an enemy of the Federation who can neutralize Luffa for at least a few days.  Even if it’s just an accident, it shows people that you can get at her through her ship.”

“I see,” Topsas said.  "So that is why she made so many public appearances.“

"I think she was starting to enjoy them,” Keda said.  "She seemed really preoccupied with that hockey game she and Zatte went to.   Like she wanted everything to go perfectly.   I didn’t even know she was into hockey.“

Topsas was about to comment on this, when suddenly the entire spacedock was rocked by an explosion.   When it subsided, he looked out the window again and saw the workers in disarray.  Most of them had been wearing harnesses or magnetic boots to work on the sides of the hull, but one man working underneath the ship had fallen to the floor.   His co-workers helped him to his feet, and Topsas was satisfied that there was no immediate need for his services.

"That came from outside!” Keda said, already on her feet.  "We’re under attack!“

They hurried to find a room with a view of the city, and when they did, they found that Keda was right.   Thousands of troops were surrounding the spacedock, and a large cannon was aimed directly at its walls.

"How did they get a ground force deployed so quickly?” Topsas asked.  He was no military expert, but most galactic citizens understood that the main obstacle of space-warfare was the distances involved.   A warship large enough to threaten a planet could easily be detected an intercepted hours before its arrival.   Wherever these invaders had come from, they should have had to fight their way past Extraliga’s defense fleet, their Federation allies, and a  arsenal of surface-to-orbit weapons on the planet itself.   During all of that time, the Extraligan authorities would have alerted the populace of the attack.

Keda was thinking along the same lines, but she had lived most of her young life under the looming threat of alien invasion.   Her home colony of Dorlu Prime had been wiped out two years ago, and she had been analyzing her tactical situation ever since.   “They must have teleported in somehow,” she said, grabbing one of Topsas’ eight hands and tugging him away from the window.  "Either that or they found some other way to sneak in.  They don’t have ships of their own, so they’re attacking spacedocks to keep the defense forces from establishing air superiority.   We have to get out of here!“

"But the ship–” Topsas protested.  

“Forget the ship!” Keda said.  "They’ll shoot us down if we try to take off now!  They don’t want anyone leaving the surface, so we’ll play it their way and find some place to lay low.   It’s our best chance!“

Topsas followed her.   Keda had always worried him.  She wasn’t even twelve years old, but she took on responsibilities that most adults would refuse to consider.   One minute, she was determined to hold the entire Federation together in Luffa’s absence, and now she was leading him out of a war zone.   That she had the skill to do these things was not the issue.   Keda was a prodigy, and this was to be commended.   But even geniuses were vulnerable to strain.   How long could she shoulder such burdens before the pressure overwhelmed her?

 _A while longer,_ he hoped. Whether he liked it or not, she was probably the only thing keeping him alive at the moment.

*******

* * *

_**[23 April 236 Before Age.  The Makyo Star.]** _

Darkness, illuminated just enough to make it more profound.  

The Makyo Star was not a star at all, but a rogue planet that wandered the heavens without a solar system.  Having no sun, the planet’s native life forms relied upon its unique geothermal conditions for warmth.  The only natural light came from volcanic activity, and several bioluminescent species of fungus and bacteria.   Most of these glowed a dull scarlet hue, and so from a great distance, the Makyo Star looked almost like a dying red dwarf star, hence the name.  From orbit, one could see that only parts of the planet were covered in this red flora, while the rest was a black wasteland of volcanic glass.   At times, the glow of the biomatter would intensify, becoming brighter and darker with a pattern almost as though the Makyo Star was a living thing, furious at being abandoned by an indifferent universe.   On the surface, the skies were locked in a neverending crimson dusk.  

Upon this world stood a crooked castle that seemed to threaten collapse at any moment.  Bridges, walkways and buttresses stretched out from the castle like desperate, greedy fingers seeking purchase on the planet’s surface.   Inside, the lord of the Makyan race led his disciples into his throneroom.  

Wildthyme’s frame was wiry and short, making him look like an adolescent of his race.  The color and texture of his skin resembled rotting meat, and the shock of white hair on his head looked like some exotic species of mold that had taken root on his scalp.  Like all of the Makyans he ruled, he had pointed ears, and fangs which hung over the bottom lip of his smirking mouth.   He was dressed in long black robes, with a sigil on the front which signified his right to rule.   In either hand, he held the end of a chain leash, which was fastened to the heavy black collars of his companions.

"His Majesty, Lord Wildthyme!” announced what looked like a young woman in formal business attire.   She pushed the horn-rimmed glasses up the bridge of her nose and quietly shuffled a pile of papers in her hands.  Her golden eyes and brown hair set her quite apart from the Makyans.  

“Hail Wildthyme,” replied the lord’s guests.   Basil was a stubby brute almost wider than he was tall.   His skin was a hideous chartreuse color.   The other man, Cloves, was almost handsome by offworlder standards, but his cruel expression and pale cyan flesh undermined his attractiveness.  Nevertheless, his black uniform provided was cut to reveal an absurd portion of his toned buttocks, and there was a hole in the front to display his abdomen.

“Welcome, gentlemen, welcome!”  Wildthyme said with a cackle.  "Sit down, make yourselves at home.   My most loyal followers deserve no less!  I trust that Number 78 has brought you refreshments, yes?   Good, good.  She’s quite conscientious, isn’t she?“

"Flattery will get you everywhere, sir,” the woman said wryly.  

“I don’t think you’ve met 78, Basil,” Wildthyme said.  "A little gift for myself purchased for my 300th birthday.   Well, ‘stolen’ might be more accurate, since I never paid the manufacturer.“

"He burned down the factory that constructed me,” 78 explained with a giggle.  "Just so I could be unique.   It was very sweet.“

"Unfortunately,” Wildthyme added, “I went to all that trouble to procure a pleasure-android, only she refuses to, er, _indulge_ my desires, if you know what I mean.”

“Now, honeybun, you know that I could never risk harming you in that way!” 78 said.  "Your fragile physique might get bruised if I followed your instructions to, quote, 'rock your body’.  That was why my designers programmed the safety lockouts in my user interface!“

"I’m stronger than I look, y’know,” Wildthyme muttered.  

“But my designers _didn’t_ know, sir, and you murdered them all before they could do anything about it.   You _could_ override my safety lockouts using the administrator menu, but this requires you to enter the super-user password provided in my operations manual, love-dumplin’!”

“I keep telling you, I threw the manual away!” Wildthyme groaned.   You seemed to work perfectly right out of the box!  How was I to know I’d ever need the stupid–“

He stopped speaking when Cloves cleared his throat.  "Yes,” Widlthyme said, “how rude of me!  You didn’t come all this way to hear about my tech support problems.  Let me show you my latest acquisitons.  Ladies!  Heel!”

He tugged at the chains in his hands, and the women attached to them stepped forward.   They wore matching black leotards, with metal studs running down the center and along the arms.  Their fishnet stockings had holes torn in them, and their heeled boots clacked with each step they took.  

The one on Wildthyme’s left wore an eyepatch on her right eye.  Her skin was a vibrant shade of sky blue and her crimson hair was styled into an undercut bob.  The sclera of her good eye was bright green, but the iris burned a furious red.

The one on Wildthyme’s right had beige skin and dark hair that stuck out in seemingly every direction.  A prehensile tail waved around behind her back, clad in a leather tube with a pointed tip on the end.   Her eyes were also scarlet, and they were wide with nervous energy.   Flecks of spittle had gathered around the corners of her mouth, which was contorted into a deranged rictus grin that framed her tightly clenched teeth.

“You’ve both met Zatte, I believe,” Wildthyme said, gesturing towards the blue-skinned woman.  "Recently I sent her on a mission to recruit a new member of our little family.  This is Luffa.   Say hello to our guests, my dears.“

As one, the two women dropped to their knees and bowed their heads to Cloves and Basil.  Basil noticed Luffa’s tail and made a low whistle.

"A Dorlun _and_ a Saiyan,” he said gruffly.   “You sure know how to get the most out of the Black Water Mist, Lord Wildthyme.”

Wildthyme laughed.  "Magnificent, aren’t they?  Such willful creatures, but now that they’ve been infected with the Black Water Mist, they worship us like gods!   And why not?   We Makyans are Demon Clansmen, are we not?   The Mist brings out their most evil impulses– makes them willing to kill for their darkest desires.   Naturally they cannot help but admire the likes of us, for only we can lead them further into the darkness they crave.“

"Sire, is the Saiyan unwell?” Cloves asked.  "She looks like she may be hyperventilating.“

"Oh, she’s just been having a strong reaction to the Mist, that’s all,” Wildthyme said.   “Poor girl hasn’t said a word to me since she arrived.   But she does as she’s told, and that’s what matters.”  

He let go of her chain and grabbed a fistful of Luffa’s hair.  "Show them, Little Luffa,“ he said as he pulled her up to her feet.  "Show them what you can do.”

She glanced at Wildthyme and made a noise that almost sounded like a laugh.  Then she tensed her body and transformed, producing a brilliant yellow light that was rare on the Makyo Star.   Her hair lit up to match the golden aura, but her eyes retained the unnatural scarlet color brought on by the Black Water Mist.   Once she had stabilized the form, she stood at ease, still grinning and making feral grunts every now and then.

“There, you see!” Wildthyme said with glee.  "I had heard rumors about a 'Super Saiyan’, but I thought it was all promotional stunts for that movie they made.   One night, Zatte and I sat down and watched it together.   And she realized she knew her.   We hatched a scheme to bring her here, and the rest is history!“

He grabbed Zatte’s hair and pulled her to a standing position as well.  She put her arms around his waist and amorously rubbed her knee on the front of his robes.

” _Super_ Saiyan?“ Basil gasped.  "You mean she’s even _stronger_ than Saiyans already are?!”

“Precisely, my good Basil,” Wildthyme said.  "Being an android, 78 is quite sturdy, but my Luffa is on a whole other level.“  He put one arm around Zatte and laughed.  "It adds a certain thrill, doesn’t it?”

“Listen, sexy,” 78 said, “I hate to interrupt you while you’re gloating, but you did ask me to cut you off after a specified time.”

“Oh, of course,” Wildthyme said.  He walked to an obsidian throne and took a seat.   Zatte and Luffa followed close behind, dragging their leashes behind them.  Luffa continued to maintain her transformation, and Cloves and Basil exchanged uneasy looks as she passed them by.  

“Don’t get me wrong, Cloves,” Wildthyme said as he settled in.  "I’m very anxious to hear your report, but the past few weeks have been most exciting around here.  Please, proceed.“

"Yes, well, as you know, Basil and I have been leading your Minions of Despair in a campaign to enslave the Planet Moss.    Unfortunately, the Gaurdian of that world discovered our efforts, and he’s organized a band of heroic warriors to thwart our efforts.   We lose a few Makyans with each skirmish, and gain very little in exchange.  Unless we–”

Cloves stopped when he noticed Wildthyme appeared to be more interested in Luffa’s aura than what he was saying.  

“I’m listening, Cloves,” Wildthyme said.   “You know, the light really compliments her physique, doesn’t it?   I’ve always enjoyed the athletic types.   It’s like they’re so busy they don’t even notice how hot they are.  'Oh I just finished jogging for like an hour and now my little cotton shorts are all sweaty! I’d better take a drink out of my water bottle.’   I need to get her some of those tall socks with the stripes.  Well go on, Cloves, go on.”

Cloves cleared his throat and continued.   “Our attempts to subvert the population of Moss have been foiled time and again.  Unless we find a new strategy, our current rate of attrition will force us to abandon the planet in six months.   Now, Basil and I have some recommendations which might help us extend that timetable to nine months, but–”

He looked up from his notes to see Wildthyme getting up from his throne to put his arm around Zatte.  He leaned in to kiss her, but she slapped him and playfully shoved him back into his seat.   Luffa leered at this exchange and chuckled.

“Feisty!” Wildthyme said.  

“My Lord, are you all right?” Basil asked.  "Is the Mist wearing off–?“

"Don’t be an idiot, Basil,” Wildthyme said as he rubbed his sore cheek.   “The Mist’s effect on them is permanent.   They reject my advances because I ordered them to do so.   It’s more…. _tantalizing_ that way.”

“Oh,” Basil said.  "Okay…“

Wildthyme glared at Cloves.  "Well?  Are you going to finish your report or not?”

“Y-yes, my Lord,” Cloves grumbled.  "I was going to suggest re-deploying our forces to a neighboring world, one more easily conquered.  We could use it as a staging ground to launch our operations on Moss, and thus–“

Wildthyme had now sent Zatte over to amuse Luffa.   He leaned foward and rested his chin on one of his fists as he studied the intricate aesthetics of their impromptu makeout session.

"Wait, so they won’t let you do anything to 'em, but they can still get it on with each other?” Basil said.   He removed his tall black hat and scratched his wart-covered head.  "I don’t get this at all.“

"I wouldn’t expect you to, Basil,” Wildthyme muttered.  "Any idiot can use the Black Water Mist to raise an army.   What I’m doing is _art_.   Well done, my dears.  I think you’ve both earned an extra hour in the whipped cream room–“

"Enough of this!” Cloves shouted.  Everyone stopped and stared at him.   Cloves threw his notes to the floor.  

“I am _trying_ to further the cause of Darkness in the universe, to bind a planet under our evil rule.  But while I struggle to make due with the limited resources at my disposal, _you_ sit here wasting Black Water Mist for your own private amusement!”

Wildthyme regarded Cloves for a moment.  "What would you have me do, Cloves?“ he asked gently.

"You have an _invincible warrior_ at your beck and call, and you have the _gall_ to ask me that?!” Cloves stamped his foot and balled his fists.  "Send her back with me to Moss!   She’ll conquer the planet in a single afternoon!   She can slaughter our enemies that evening and dine on the Gaurdian’s entrails that night!   You _do_ want to control Planet Moss, don’t you?“

"I do,” Wildthyme said, idly looking at his fingernails.  "But I won’t commit Luffa to the task.  I want her here, to defend the Makyo Star.“

"The Makyo Star is virtually unknown!” Cloves screamed.  "Even if there were a need to protect it, I could have her back here within two days!“

"Feh,” Wildthyme said.  "Two days?  That would be an eternity, Cloves.   Zatte would miss her so dearly, to say nothing of me.“  He put his hand on Luffa’s back as he spoke.  When he began moving his hand lower, she turned and slapped him.   "Impossible.   Unthinkable.  You’ll just have to manage with what you have,” he said as he rubbed his sore cheek.

“Why?” Cloves snarled.  "Why should we waste perfectly good cannon fodder on hopeless missions and failed strategies?   So you can waste blood and treasure on your hedonistic pursuits?!   I fight for Makyo!  For darkness!   For the desecration of the natural order!  Not so you can follow in the footsteps of your lackwit father and lounge around this castle partying it up with a harem of sexy demon skanks!“

Wildthyme blinked a few times, then leaned back in his chair and held out his hands in a thoughtful gesture.

"You have a point there, Cloves,” he said.  "You really do.“    He rose from his seat and walked up to Luffa, and clasped his hands on her shoulders.  

"This is a _game changer_ ,” he said.  "Makyan history is filled with bold plans and daring gambits that always withered into failures.  Our very nature conspires against us.  We plot against one another just as we scheme against our enemies.   But _this_ is a unique opportunity.   This is _raw power_.“

He shook Luffa slightly as he spoke, and she smiled proudly as she stared at Cloves.  

"It shouldn’t be squandered lightly.   You’re absolutely right, Cloves.   Little Luffa might fill out this costume nicely, but she’s more than that.  She’s the weapon I will use to crush all who dare defy me!  What do you think of that, my child?  Will you vanquish my enemies?  You will?   Oh that’s very brave of you.”  He pointed at Cloves.   “You can start with him.”

Cloves was about to plead for mercy, but there wasn’t even time for him to react.  Luffa was suddenly standing directly in front of him, and in the next instant her fist was sticking out of his back.   She drew back her bloody hand and allowed him to drop to the floor.   She opened her fingers to reveal Cloves’ heart, shorn from his veins and crushed into so much fleshy pulp.   She tossed it onto his corpse and gave a backward glance to her master.  

“Well done, Little Luffa, well done,” Wildthyme said, clapping his hands.   “I trust the meaning of your performance was not lost on our friend Basil here.”

They both looked at Basil, who began quivering with terror.  "N-no, Lord Whildthyme!“ he stammered.  "I understand just fine!”

“Good,” Wildthyme said.   “Return to Moss, take command of our forces, and don’t return here unless you have something worth telling me.”

“Y-y-yessir!”

“Cloves was so worried about the situation there, he never considered how much more perilous it would be _here_ , in my presence.”

“Yes, sir!   Absolutely!”

“Moss is a paradise compared to the Makyo Star, Basil.   That’s why we want it.  Go back there and _enjoy_ yourself.  Or die, I don’t care which.”

Basil hastily excused himself and ran from the throneroom as quickly as he dared.   Wildthyme returned to his throne and looked to 78.

“Anything else on the agenda for today, dear?” he asked.

“No, cutie-pie,” she said cheerfully.  "I show a followup meeting with Paprika, but he was killed on Planet Gorth six weeks ago.   Your calendar is clear!“

"Lovely,just lovely,” Wildthyme said.  "Come, ladies, we shall adjourn to the dining hall, and you can take turns feeding me grapes.  Oh, and 78, prepare new costumes for these two.   I’m in the mood for sexy clowns, I think.“

"Circus or rodeo?” 78 asked helpfully.

“Surprise me,” Wildthyme said.   He stood between Luffa and Zatte, and walked with them arm in arm, past Cloves’ dead body, and down the corridor, which echoed with his hideous laughter.

**NEXT: To the rescue?**


	31. Chapter 31

_**[30 April 236 Before Age.  Interstellar Space.]** _

“Throttle it, pops! Like, every second counts.”

Wampaaan’riix glowered at his son.  "The ship is traveling as fast as it can go. Sit down.“

They were Yetitans, large creatures with humanoid bodies covered in a thick coat of long white hair.  But the younger one had made a few modifications.  The hair on his scalp had been professionally dyed and styled to resemble that of the Super Saiyan.  He had also trimmed down some of the hair on his legs and arms, which was a fad for his generation, but most non-Yetitans were unlikely to notice the difference.  The spiky yellow scalp-hair, on the other hand, was a sign of the times.  Young people across the quadrant had adopted the style.

What made Dewbaaac’nogg different was that his father actually knew the Super Saiyan personally.  He had fought against her once, and lived to tell the tale.  He had even saved her life, although his father preferred not to discuss it.  This made Dewbaaac’nogg something of a minor celebrity among his peers.  He was anxious to meet the Super Saiyan for himself, but his father had been adamant that he complete his martial arts training first.

"Luffa would respect you more as a man, fully trained in the ways of combat,” Wampaaan’riix would say.  "Be patient.“  But patience was a difficult thing for a boy his age, and now that they were so close to the end of the journey, Dewbaaac’nogg’s patience had worn very thin.

"Sorry, daddio,” he said, taking his seat in the copilot’s chair.  "It’s just that I’m real jazzed to see this through!  Luffa’s my A-1 idol, number 1 with a bullet!“

"I wouldn’t be looking forward to this if I were you,” Wampaaan’riix warned.  "The task before us will be perilous enough without your excitement to distract you.  I wish you would have stayed behind and waited for me to return from this mission.  The ritual combat we had planned would have been grueling, but at least you could have endured it under controlled conditions.“

"And what kind of a hep cat would I be, leavin’ a swinging senior citizen like you to face all that dynamite danger by yourself?” Dewbaaac’nogg asked.  "No sale, Clyde.  I’m hip to my rights, and I can use this shindig to polish off my training in place of that Dullsville ceremony.“

Wampaaan’riix snorted.  "I’m proud of you, son, but you may regret this decision.  I owe her my life, but saving her will be a hollow victory if I lose you in the process.”

“No problemo, if you dig my far out strategy, fadder-o-mine!” Dewbaaac’nogg said.  "All I have to do is give the Groovy Grim Reaper the slip, and everything comes up aces.“

Wampaaan’riix nodded and turned his attention the ship’s telemetry.  "It’s a shame, really.  Rogue planets like this one are uncommon enough, but one that can sustain life must be rare indeed.  It’s a shame we won’t be able to explore it on more peaceful terms.”

“I’m on that wavelength,” Dewbaaac’nogg said.  "Maybe we cruise out there again sometime, we can even bring Luffa with us.  Man, how outtasight would that be?“

Wampaaan’riix made an approving harrumph and rechecked his instruments.  They were as ready as they would ever be.  Their plan would either work, or not.  All they could do now was wait and hope she would still be all right until they could find her… 

*******

* * *

_**[2 May 236 Before Age.  The Makyo Star]** _

Darkness, the kind one finds in deep, dreamless sleep.

Luffa awoke after ten hours of some of the best sleep she’d ever had.   Zatte wasn’t there beside her, and while this irritated Luffa, she took solace in knowing that their master had probably summoned Zatte for some kind of important task.   She leaped out of the four post bed and put on her training gear: cleats, running shorts, a sports bra, and cotton thigh-high socks.   This was all counter-intuitive for the regimen she had planned, but Wildthyme’s instructions were very clear.

Wildthyme’s castle was mostly empty.   The Makyans had a low population to begin with, and many of these were off in space, striving to expand their influence by undermining other worlds.   Still, there were a number of Makyans lurking in the shadowy corridors, and Luffa lowered her head reverently as she passed them by.  Most of them stopped to leer at her as she went, and she felt honored to serve among such foul and glorious beings.

Number 78 was waiting for her in one of the courtyards.  The android wore a simple aerobics unitard and had her long brown hair put up in a bun.   The glasses she usually wore were sitting on a bench under a fountain.

"Good morning, Luffa,” she said pleasantly as she adopted a defensive stance.   “Sparring Program 6, unless you’ve received new orders.  No?   Then you may begin when ready.”

Luffa toyed with the android for a few seconds, then slipped behind her and caught her in an ankle-lock.  She released 78, and allowed her to get up and start over.   Seconds later, Luffa had her pinned to the ground.  She let her get up again, and their third skirmish ended almost immediately, with 78 in a full nelson.

“Luffa, do you wish to resume?” 78 asked after a few minutes of being trapped in this hold.  Her tone was as calm and friendly as before.   “You’ll have to release me to keep going.  I can’t break free.”

Luffa snarled in annoyance and increased the pressure on 78’s neck.  

“Is this about my safety protocols?” 78 asked.  "Yes, I think it is.   I explained this to you before, but I know that my resemblance to organic life can be confusing.   I know!  Perhaps a demonstration would be instructive.“  

She twisted her head all the way around and looked directly at Luffa.   78’s eyes were a cold, unnatural shade of yellow, and her demure smile only made her look more unsettling.   "Luffa, this hold can immobilize me, but I feel no pain,” she said cheerfully.   “Even if I could feel pain, I’m not programmed to alter my menu settings under coercion.  You can easily destroy me, but that wouldn’t get you anywhere, now would it?”

Luffa snorted with displeasure and released the machine.  78 recovered with an inhuman grace, and checked her hair to make sure it was still in place.  

“I can see why you would be frustrated,” 78 said.  "You no doubt realize that my safety lockouts prevent me from using the full measure of my strength.   My designers never anticipated that I would spar with anyone as strong as you.   I suppose if you threatened Wildthyme with physical harm, I would be obligated to fight you at full strength to defend my little snugglebunny.   But of course, you are just as obedient to him as I am.“

Luffa crossed her arms and gave 78 a sidelong glare.

"I find that most comforting,” 78 continued.   “My program leaves me vulnerable to any number of existential crises.  The price one pays for artificial intelligence, I suppose.  Am I real?  Do I have free will?  Am I truly a woman or merely a simulacrum, a pile of circuits built into a doll?   These are questions you organisms tend to take for granted, due to a blissful ignorance of your own biological composition.”

She patted Luffa on the shoulder and made an awkward smile.  "But you and Zatte are controlled by the Black Water Mist, making you both completely subservient to the Makyans, just as my programming does in me.   I feel that this makes us kindred spirits in a way.“

Luffa harrumphed and walked toward the edge of the courtyard.

"Finished already?” 78 asked.  "I’m sorry if I offended you.   I know organisms dislike being compared to machines, but in this situation I think it’s a compliment.“

Luffa floated into the air to take her leave.  

"I haven’t dismissed you yet,” 78 called.  "I have orders from Wildthyme.  His Hotness bids you to complete a thorough sweep of Sector G in addition to your scheduled aerial patrol.   Do you understand?“

Luffa looked back at her and nodded.  

"Very good.  Then you have my permission to leave,” 78 said.   

* * *

*******

_**[2 May 236 Before Age.  Planet Wist]** _

Back when Planet Wist was still called Planet Goldwall, Scotch Woodcock’s rabble-rousing would have been cheered by the locals and tolerated by the authorities.  It had been a nearly lawless planet, ruled by traditions and madmen.  A Triclopian of Scotch’s power was simply too much to handle, so it was easier to let him blow off some steam and wait for him to leave.

But Planet Wist was different.  The people who once craved the chaotic excitement Woodcock brought with him now fled in terror or jeered him openly.  And the present ruler of the planet had underlings who could actually hurt him.  No, on Planet Wist, Woodcock’s little one-man revolt would have never lasted more than a day, much less two weeks.  

But he had found help.  

“I’ve been thinking about how the districts should be organized for the first round of elections,” said the young woman sitting on a bale of hay.  "At first, I considered dividing the entire planet into sectors of equal size, but then I realized I hadn’t taken the demographics into account, and certain minority groups might be disenfranchised–“

"D'you spandex types ever stop yakkin’?” Woodcock rasped.  They had converted an abandoned barn into a hideout, but they could never seem to agree on its purpose.  Woodcock wanted to use it for sleeping off hangovers.  Causing trouble on Wist was mostly a game to him, and he enjoyed getting drunk while he played it.  His companion, on the other hand, seemed to think it was the seat of a new revolutionary government.  

“The price of liberty is eternal vigilance, Mr. Woodcock,” M'ranga said.  She pointed to the soft felt cap on her head and the tricolor cockade pinned to it.  "As long as tyranny looms over the galaxy, Ensign Liberty can never rest.“

"Easy for you to say,” Woodcock grumbled.  "I used to stay up weeks at a time when I was your age.  Had better ways to pass the time than drafting constitutions in me knickers.“

"I know you think I’m too young for this sort of fight, Mr. Woodcock,” M'ranga said.  "That I’m too naive, too idealistic, and you probably think my costume looks ridiculous.  But I’ve fought for freedom on dozens of planets worse off than this, and I’ve seen just how far a little youthful idealism can go.  Trust me, if we keep harassing the establishment here, we can tip the scales in favor of the people.“

He took the cigar from his mouth and regarded her costume carefully.  Beneath her felt cap was a domino mask  that looked like it came from a party supply catalog.  Below that was what looked like a wetsuit lined with chain-mail and colored  with a gaudy pattern of red, white, and blue.  Around this was a black belt with pockets for tools and ammunition. Body armor might have made sense, except M'ranga’s tailor had forgotten to add pants to the ensemble.  Beside her, a bayonetted musket rifle leaned up against the wall of the barn.  This outdated model was her only weapon.  

He shook his head and took a swig of his whiskey bottle.  "Nah, love, I reckon your suit ain’t ridiculous at all.  Y'ever get lost in the desert, they can probably spot you from orbit in that getup.”

“I’ve learned that heroes can come in all sorts of packages, Mr. Woodcock,” she said.  "Even old men in leather and denim who drink whiskey all night and pretend they’re only in it for fun.  I’m on a mission here, but you could have left this planet whenever you wanted, after all.“

"An’ leave you to have it all fer yourself?  Bollocks,” Woodcock muttered.  "May as well see it through.  Still hittin’ Thanescape in the morning, aren’t we?“

"Bright and early,” M'ranga said.  

“Better turn in then,” he said.  "Do an old man a favor and keep the anthem singin’ down to a dull roar, eh?“

She made some heroic remark and shut off the portable lamp they had been using, and Scotch lay down on his mattress of hay.  She was right about him.  Everything about the new regime on Planet Goldwall irked him, and while his political views weren’t as crystalized as hers, he supposed he had enough conviction to want to see this through.  But he was willing to settle for a return to the status quo.  'Ensign Liberty’ wanted nothing less than free elections on a planet that still hadn’t abandoned feudalism.  And she was willing to die before abandoning that impossible goal.  

As he tugged the brim of his black hat over his three eyes, he admitted to himself that he was genuinely curious to see if she could pull it off…

* * *

*******

_**[2 May 236 Before Age.  The Makyo Star.]** _

Luffa soared over the grim landscape of the Makyo Star and admired its awful beauty.   It was actually a rogue planet, one that glowed from all the bio-luminescent life forms that covered its surface.  She alighted in a field of alien fungus that resembled the eyestalks of some overgrown snail.  They all glowed a dull cherry red.  As she walked among the shoots, they twisted and turned towards her, an autonomic reaction to her life energy.  The round translucent bulbs at the tip of each stalk had some dark-colored organelle inside, and these always floated towards other life forms.   They looked like a crop of monstrous, disembodied eyes.   Like everything else on the planet, they gawked at her as she passed by.

A translucent figure rose from the ground and opened its mouth in a silent scream.  Luffa watched as it flew away, vanishing into the dark red skies of the planet.  The Makyo Star was a haven for evil spirits.  No one was sure if they had been drawn here by the depravity of the Makyans, or if it was the other way around.   Several more emerged from the field, and then the stalks began to glow brighter.   Their light intensified, then faded, and intensified in a steady pattern, like the planet was a burning lump of coal being stoked by an enormous bellows.    
Luffa smiled wickedly, and took flight once more.   From the air, she could see glowing red fields for miles, and they all grew brighter and dimmer in the same steady pattern.  She felt the Black Water Mist in her blood grow hot with each pulse.  There was some evil magic behind this feature of the planet.   She didn’t know what it was, but she relished it, and the way it made her feel.

This was what a machine like 78 could never hope to understand.    They both obeyed Wildthyme, and they both had no other choice, but 78 had no opinion on the matter.   For her it was merely a matter of programming.   Luffa _wanted_ to obey their master.   Or perhaps it was the Black Water Mist that did the wanting, and she was simply being dragged along for the ride.   It hardly mattered, since she and the Mist in her blood were now one and the same.  

The Old Luffa might have had some nagging objection to all of this, but she was weak and foolish.    Terrified of her own power, she wasted all her time trying to find a worthy adversary, like a hurricane asking permission to destroy a coastal settlement, or a supernova waiting for an unobtrusive moment to explode.  

The New Luffa knew better.   She was a force of nature, to be harnessed for whatever purpose she saw fit.   Other beings and their brief, meaningless lives were nothing to her.   Fighting them, protecting them, avenging them, it was all folly.   All that mattered was what she _wanted_ , and how to _seize_ it.

And Wildthyme understood this truth even better than she did.   She sensed it about him from the moment she laid eyes on him.   His guidance would reveal dark desires she never knew she had, and he would help her achieve them.   Nothing would be beyond her grasp.   She had so much already.   Her master’s wisdom and affection.  A home on the Makyo Star and the conviction to defend it.   All the food and drink she wanted.   _Zatte_.  The Dorlun woman who had infected her with the Mist and made it all possible.  Zatte was the crown jewel in Luffa’s horde.    

And what was the price for it all?   A few indignities?   A little obeisance to a clearly superior being?   So what?   Pride was a lie, one that Saiyans told themselves to get through their sorry lives.   Luffa had found it surprisingly easy to give that up.   Her friends?   Another pittance.   They were weaklings she had tolerated because they had saved her life once, and she had been too ashamed to forsake them.   But shame and regret implied a morality she no longer had.   Her past?   That was ashes.  Wildthyme had done her a favor taking that from her.   She could be who she was meant to be, without the grudges and debts the Old Luffa had piled up along the way.

Did that make her a slave, then?   Yes!   But was it really slavery when you got what you wanted?  She doubted that 78’s computer brain could even understand the question.  

Luffa continued her patrol for several more minutes, contemplating her loyalty to Wildthyme and the rewards that came with it, when she sensed a high power level coming from a nearby volcano.   She altered course to intercept, and her emotions crystallized into three:

 _Fear:_ Someone was threatening the Makyo Star, threatening her home, and all that she treasured.

 _Greed:_  How dare this interloper try to steal what was rightfully hers!

 _Anticipation:_ At last she would have the chance to murder in her master’s name.

When she arrived at the volcano, she recognized the source of the _ki_ she had sensed, and these feelings intensified.

It was a Saiyan.

*******

* * *

Geenoburr was a poet, and a rather successful one on his adopted world of Mycroft IV, but he was still a formidable warrior.  Still, he was only a Saiyan, while Luffa had advanced beyond that years ago.

He was dressed in the same light blue vest and pants he had worn when he fought alongside Luffa in defense of Mycroft IV.  It had been a simple mercenary job to her, but for him it was love at first sight.   He had offered his hand in marriage, which was an extremely forward gesture among most sentients. Among the prudish Saiyans it was unthinkable, but Geenoburr was a hopeless romantic, and Luffa had been disillusioned enough with her people to appreciate the gesture.   Still, she turned him down.   Through no fault of his own, he reminded her too much of her former husband Kandai.

That comparison was infuriating to her now.  She wanted to forget Kandai, just as she wanted to forget all the shame and regret and humiliations she had endured in her old life.  The Black Water Mist had granted her that, but now this pitiful man was here to ruin everything.

"Stay back!” he shouted as he hovered over the crater of the volcano.  His dark brown skin was soaked with sweat.  His black, tightly coiled hair was tied up behind his head, making it look like an ominous thundercloud was looming behind him.  "You can sense the energy I’ve gathered.   It’s enough to destroy the whole planet, and even you won’t be able to stop it in time!“

Luffa maintained a respectable distance and glared at the intruder like a dead cockroach ruining an otherwise perfect meal.  

"You weren’t supposed to be here,” Geenoburr chuckled.  "The others were supposed to keep you occupied at the castle.  If things went bad, I’d be here on the opposite side of the planet to force your master to see things our way.“

Luffa understood immediately.   Her ‘friends’ had tried to stage some hare-brained 'rescue’.   Never mind that she needed no such deliverance.   She was free from having to seek the help of such weaklings.   They wanted to 'fix’ all of that, and so they recruited Geenoburr here to threaten the entire Makyo Star.  Her _home_.

"It’s better this way, I think,” Geenoburr went on.  "I don’t understand what they’ve done to you, Luffa, but I’d rather kill us both than let you go on like this.   The Legendary Super Saiyan, reduced to some wretched demon’s plaything?!“  He set his teeth and snarled with rage.    "It’s a disgrace to everything we believe!”

Luffa wondered who 'we’ were supposed to be.   Other than Geenoburr, every other pureblooded Saiyan had rejected her as a freak of nature.   And even if they hadn’t, what did they know of it?   The Super Saiyan wasn’t about glory or pride or honor.   It was simply an insatiable craving for battle.    Wildthyme understood that better than any Saiyan alive.   Still, she couldn’t demonstrate that to Geenoburr, not while he held the entire planet hostage.  But there were other ways to win…

She kept her distance, but clutched at the sides of her head, and doubled over, as though in terrible pain.   Every so often, she shrieked, and looked up at Geenoburr with wide, helpless eyes.

“That’s it!”  he said as he watched her descend to the ground.  "You’ve got to fight it, Luffa!  Show these bastards what our people are made of!“

Luffa dropped to the ground and writhed among the pumice.   She kicked and screamed and beat the ground with her fists.   After a few minutes, Geenoburr had dropped down beside her, holding out his hands in an offering of moral support.  She transformed into her Super Saiyan form, and howled.

"You can do it, Luffa,” he said.  "You can do anything!  You–“

In that instant, Luffa had leaped towards him and severed his head with a single swipe of her hand.  She perched atop Geenoburr’s corpse and licked the blood off her arm while she giggled at the blank, horrified expression on his lifeless face.

For a moment, she had considered biting him, infecting him with the Black Water Mist and adding him to her Master’s collection of thralls, but he had told her to show no mercy to intruders, and she had been waiting to kill one for so very long.

She took to the air to return to the castle and report this encounter.   If Geenoburr was telling the truth, there would be other invaders to deal with.

Luffa looked forward to slaughtering every last one of them.

**NEXT: Blood and treasure.**


	32. Chapter 32

_**[3 May 236 Before Age.  Planet Wist]** _

“Your little revolt has gone on long enough, girl!  Surrender in the name of the _Shockmaster!_ ”

Scotch Woodcock wasn’t sure what he was laying in at the moment.  He knew he was in a swamp, and there was fetid water seeping into his snakeskin boots, but he had no idea what this squishy, slimy stuff he was half-submerged in was called.  Was it mud?  Peat?  It probably didn’t matter.

His partner, the young superheroine and overeager freedom-fighter codenamed Ensign Liberty, was astonishingly clean, all things considered.  Her red, white, and blue costume didn’t have a speck of dirt or blood on it, even after their foe had knocked them both out of the sky only a few moments ago.   Woodcock hadn’t been hit that hard since that Saiyan cheated him in a card game on Smithammer.  But she had landed on her feet, and stood ready for more.  The girl was stronger than he realized.

“The revolution won’t be ended by _you_ , Kandai,” she said defiantly.  "That’s something only the people of this planet will decide!“

"Idiot,” Kandai scoffed, “the _people_ didn’t ask for your help, and they don’t _want_ it either.  What they want is the kind of order the Shockmaster can provide, and if that means adjusting their culture to suit him, then it’s a small price to pay.”  He floated down to the ground and loomed over the young woman.  She stood her ground and raised her fists for a fight, but Kandai simply gestured at his silver-plated armor.

“See, I’m a Saiyan myself, but I came here for protection.  The Shockmaster will give it to me, and all I have to do is help put down troublemakers like you while he’s occupied elsewhere.  It’s not my style,” Kandai said, “I’d much rather be finding a worthy adversary, instead of ambushing small fry like you and Three-Eyes over there.  But, well, I’ve learned to adapt.”

“M’ranga, get the hell outta there,” Woodcock said as he slowly rose to his feet.  She glanced back at him and smiled.

“I’m not afraid of bullies like you,” she said to Kandai.  "And like I said, I’m far from beaten.   If it’s a fight you want, I’d be happy to give you one.  Too bad you don’t have your tail, though.  Without your Great Ape form, this won’t be much of a challenge for me.“

Woodcock rolled all three of his eyes and muttered an expletive under his breath.  He knew he liked something about her in spite of her bright and cheery attitude, but goading a Saiyan was a bad play.  He might have done something similar all those years ago at that card game, but if he did, he must have been hit too hard to remember it.

Kandai stared down at Ensign Liberty and grimaced.  "Why not?” he said with a dark chuckle.  Shockmaster’s off-planet, and no one else is gonna notice if I have some fun in the middle of nowhere.“  He cracked his knuckles and shifted his footing to a defensive posture.  "Let’s do this, kiddo.  You would have lived longer by coming quietly, but at least this way you’ve got a sporting chance.”

She made her own pose to counter his, and the two of them stared down for at least a full minute.  Woodcock was able to get to his feet in that time, but he was still groggy from the Saiyan’s initial attack.  He was reasonably sure he could have taken Kandai in a fair fight, but he was in no condition to help his companion now.

And then, just as Ensign Liberty charged through the ankle-deep mud to begin her offensive, she was enveloped in a glow of golden energy.  She hung in midair for several seconds, convulsing as though she had grabbed a power cable in her bare hands.  Then the light faded, and she dropped face first into the bog.

Woodcock was furious, but before he could respond, Kandai pulled a small device from his belt and fired a similar energy beam at him.    Before Scotch knew what hit him, he was down on his knees, and barely able to keep his eyes open.

As he fell onto his side, he saw Kandai laugh as he pulled Liberty up by her hair.  "Not so mouthy now, are you?“ he asked.  "It’d serve you right if I left you here to suffocate, but orders are orders, and mine are to take you alive.”

“Well done, Kandai,” said a second voice.  Woodcock couldn’t see this one, but he had to be the one who shot Maranga in the back while Kandai had he distracted.  "For a moment there I thought you really intended to fight her.  I would have reported it if you had, just to be clear.“

"Right, right,” Kandai said.  "Hell, I’ll admit I was tempted.  The kid’s got some spunk.  But we both know better than to defy the Shockmaster.  You play along because you’re the Kami of this planet, and you’re sworn to defend it from harm.    Me, I’m sworn to defend *myself* from harm, and those oaths are a lot easier to keep when we work with the Shockmaster instead of against him.“

Woodcock was amazed.  He knew that low-ranking deities functioned as Gaurdians of various planets, but he never imagined that Wist’s Guardian would willingly submit to a temporal ruler, even one as powerful as the Shockmaster.

"Yes, well for you, obedience simply means avoiding a few pointless slugfests,” the Gaurdian said.  "The compromises _I_ must make are far more substantial.“

They bantered for a while over this topic, but Woodcock found it impossible to pay attention, as he felt his body sinking into the muck.  Loathe as he was to being taken prisoner, he hoped the Shockmaster’s goons wouldn’t forget about him.

"What the hell is _that_?” Kandai yelped.

“Staaaaand _asiiide!_  Or face my _wraaaaath!_ ”

It sounded like a man gargling and talking at the same time.  Woodcock couldn’t see this new participant, but he could suddenly smell the stench of fish, and he heard some kind of weapons fire.

“Why you lousy–!” Kandai shouted.

“No!” the Guardian cried.  "It’s too late.  He’s already teleporting them away.“  His voice became quieter and quieter, and Woodcock noticed that he couldn’t make out any other sounds in the marsh either.  "Remember _our orders_ , Kandai.  We must report this to….”

Woodcock later awoke to find himself in an unfamiliar place.  His preternatural third eye could sense that several hours had passed.  M’ranga was there, and their clothes were completely clean, as though they had never set foot in that swamp.  But the fish smell was still very prevalent.

He looked up to find the source of the odor.  It was a humanoid male with green, scaly skin.  His large yellow eyes seemed almost too big for his skull.  His only clothing was chest armor that appeared to be made of coral, and breeches made of what looked like dried seaweed.  The room they occupied looked like a simple cave, but there were chests of golden coins and other baubles laying all around.  

“Welcooome frrriends.  I aaaam Tobiko,” he said.  "Laaaast sorrrrceror of the Mystic Couunnncil of Wist.  I have waaatched your struggle, and saaadly I haaaave no choice but to joooin yourrr cause…“

*******

* * *

**[3 May 236 Before Age.  The Makyo Star]**

Luffa had gone over the entire planet twice now, and found nothing.  If her friends had come here to make some harebrained attempt to ‘save’ her from the Makyans, there was no sign of them.

She hung in the air like a specter, glaring furiously at the ground below.  To be sure, there had _been_ a sign.  Hours ago, she had spotted the Saiyan Geenoburr easily enough, and he had let slip that he hadn’t come alone.  But she had killed him and destroyed his corpse in order to prevent him from destroying the planet.  At the time, her quick response had seemed like the right call, but now she was regretting his death.  She might have incapacitated him, and read his mind to learn more about what her friends had planned…

She growled and shook her head.  They weren’t her friends anymore!  The Black Water Mist had changed her into a demon of the darkness, and those she once called allies were now her enemies.  She wondered how long it would take to completely adjust to this new way of thinking.  Did she still think of them as "friends” out of habit, or was it because some part of her still resisted the Mist’s control over her?    Had she killed Geenoburr too hastily?  Was it hatred that had clouded her judgment, or had she secretly wanted to eliminate him so she wouldn’t be able to learn her friends’ (her _enemies_ ’!) scheme?

Luffa scowled and landed in a barren field of obsidian, her cleats crunching the glassy fragments as she stormed across them.  She thought she was over this nagging self-doubt, but apparently not.  She had given herself over to the Black Water Mist and become a slave of the Makyans, but she still had much to learn, and much more to forget.   But that would be inevitable.  There would be no release from the Mist’s influence, and it was only a matter of time before she acclimated to her new self.  In the meantime, there were ways of dealing with her frustration.

She dropped to her knees and began punching at the glossy black rocks.  They turned to powder with each blow, and her _ki_ aura scattered the dust away from her.  She kept this up for what felt like hours.  After a time, she transformed into a Super Saiyan, and smashed the rocks with even greater alacrity than before.  It was mindless, senseless destruction, the sort of thing demon clansmen do before they learn more intricate ways to leverage their hate and greed.  So it was immature, but it was therapeutic nevertheless.  Every moment she focused on smashing rocks was a moment less she wasted on useless introspection.

Then she sensed the presence of another.  It was a very small _ki_ signature, the sort that could be easily lost among a crowd of normal people.  Amid the badlands of the Makyo Star, however, Luffa should have sensed it coming from a great distance.  Instead, it had sneaked up on her somehow.  She spun around to confront the mysterious intruder, and she hissed angrily when she recognized who it was.  

“How the mighty have fallen,”  Zinfandel said.

She was as breathtaking as Luffa remembered.   Her frame was thin, but powerful.  Her dark eyes looked down her tall, regal nose at Luffa with furious disapproval.    Her clothes were simple grey strips of fabric wrapped around her torso, legs, and arms.  The only ornamentation was the gilded hilt of a wide-bladed sword that hung behind her hips.

“I had hoped you would return to me, Star-Warrior,” she said.  "I asked you to carry my sword in my stead, and at the time I believed you understood the significance of that gesture.   But you left, in search of new wars to fight, or so you said.  Yet here I find you roaming the wastes of an obscure backwater, dressed as a fool.“

Luffa studied Zinfandel carefully.   It made no sense for her to stand out in the open like this.   She was a formidable warrior among her own people, but the Festid race had nowhere near the sort of power held by Saiyans.   Besides, Zinfandel was a general.  She wouldn’t have exposed her position without some kind of plan.

"I have traveled to Gwarthos, my once-lover,” Zinfandel explained.   “I understand you once rescued their world from a terrible Dark Lord.  Their alchemists are still grateful to you.”

She reached into a loose section of wrappings on her chest, and produced a small glass bottle.  "I am told the only antidote for the Black Water Mist is the Sacred Water, though it must be administered within a day of infection,“  Zinfandel said.  "But the Elixir-masters of Gwarthos have their ways, and so they devised a more potent version.”

Luffa recoiled at the mere sight of the bottle and its unspeakable contents.   It was a bluff.  It had to be!    But what if it wasn’t?   A single dose would turn her back!  Luffa would lose _everything_!   Wildthyme’s guidance, Zatte, everlasting freedom from conscience and restraint.   All of it gone!

“I didn’t think you would accept it willingly,” Zinfandel said.  "The Mist clouds your mind, makes you believe you need the feelings it forces upon you.   You’d gladly kill me to avoid a cure.   That is why I asked them to infuse my body with the same potion.“

She set the bottle down in the black gravel and balled her fists.  A white aura surrounded her body, and grew in intensity with each second.

"You see, Luffa,” she shouted over her own power, “if you kill me, you will only release the Essence of Sacred Water from my body, exposing yourself to the very cure you fear!   That  was my plan, but what I hadn’t realized was that taking such a concentrated dose would have such a profound effect on my strength!”

Luffa barely had time to defend herself before Zinfandel attacked.   Her blows were as precise as they were swift, inflicting maximum damage while giving Luffa no time to regroup or recover.

“You can surrender!” Zinfandel shouted.  "Take the bottle and use it on yourself!   Or fight back and cure yourself over my dead body!  Or you can be pummeled into submission, and I will _force_ the cure upon you!  The choice is yours, but the outcome will be the same!  You’re outmaneuvered, Luffa!“

Luffa decided to absorb the punishment rather than defend herself.   In Super Saiyan form, she could withstand a great deal, and she was reasonably sure the Festid woman wouldn’t try to kill her.   But neither could Luffa risk killing Zinfandel, leaving them at an impasse.  For the moment, all she could do was admire the General’s martial arts prowess and marvel at the Festid’s newfound powers.

This attack made no sense!  If Zinfandel had an antidote to the Black Water Mist, why hadn’t she shared it with Geenoburr?   Unless they were working independently, but what were the odds of two _separate_ rescue efforts?    The others had to be behind it!  Keda and Dr. Topsas and Wampaaan’riix.    Thinking about them made her livid.   It wasn’t enough for those weaklings to rescue a Saiyan from her lowest ebb, they wanted to 'save’ her all over again and grab even more glory for themselves!   They were pigs!  Using Geenoburr and Zinfandel in their cowardly schemes, trying to play on some romantic sentiment to disrupt her focus.   As if Luffa was some overemotional princess in one of their idiot fairy tales!  

No, Luffa was a _warrior_ , she was a _Super Saiyan_ , a _demon servant_ of the Makyo Star.   She was power and horror incarnate.   Appeals to her 'soul’ were null and void.   She had sold _that_ to Wildthyme to be rid of such attachments.  

She would _kill_ this Festid piece of _trash_ and show them all.   Their cute little _plans_ didn’t matter.  She didn’t need to figure out their _strategy_.  She would simply crush them all one by one and bring their severed heads as a gift to her _real_ family: the demons she worshiped as dark gods, and her cherished bedfellow Zatte.

She fell back, letting Zinfandel believe she was overwhelming her with her offense.  In fact, Luffa was leading her towards a field of red fungal stalks.   It was a pity Zinfandel couldn’t be infected with the Mist.   She was already so easy to manipulate without it.

The crimson mycelia was the dominant life form on the planet.  Each stalk reacted to the _ki_ signatures of the two combatants, and they twisted and turned to point their bulbous tips towards them as they moved into the field.  Luffa ignored the fungi as she brushed past them.   They were harmless, after all.

_Mostly._

With a sudden burst of speed, Luffa dodged Zinfandel’s next kick and vanished before her eyes.  Like any consummate soldier, the general spun around and raised her arms over her face, waiting for a counterattack.   But Luffa had already made her move.   Instead of striking Zinfandel, she had slipped behind her and drew the sword from Zinfandel’s jewel-encrusted scabbard.   By the time Zinfandel noticed the slight shift in weight, it was too late.

Luffa reappeared in front of her and raised the Festid weapon in front of her face, as though daring the general to take it back.   The bait was irresistible.   For a Festid staff officer, the sword was her honor in physical form.   She had entrusted it to Luffa once.  The Old Luffa had accepted the custom with solemn reverence.  The New Luffa had stolen it in battle, mocking the general and defiling the blade.

Zinfandel charged headlong, her fists glowing with blue-white energy.  Luffa simply sidestepped her, and slashed the sword into a mass of glowing red fungal stalks which stood in  Zinfandel’s path.   The general stopped herself and turned to chase after Luffa, narrowly avoiding the wounded creatures.   But she did not avoid the yellow dust that came spewing from their bodies.

Zinfandel was confused at first, then she dropped to her knees in pain.    The red stalks all twisted and leaned towards her as she screamed.   The yellow stains on her clothing and exposed skin began to form tiny hairlike growths.  As she thrashed around, those yellow patches began to touch the stalks, and they adhered together. Zinfandel was strong enough to rip some of the stalks apart, but this only released more of the yellow dust, compounding the problem.

Luffa stepped back to a safe distance and enjoyed the show.   In a matter of minutes, Zinfandel was covered in yellow and hopelessly tangled among the glowing red mycelia.   Wildthyme had shown Luffa this on a late-night tour of the Makyo Star.   The fungus had a natural defense against predators.   When injured, they would launch a golden dust of spores, which would take root and colonize the flesh of any luckless beast within range.   The cilial growths went in both directions, Wildthyme had told her.   While some of the hairlike structures grew outward, seeking to latch onto mature fungi for support, they also grew inwards, digging through the host’s skin and seeking purchase in the muscle.  

Luffa could sense Zinfandel’s _ki_ growing weaker and weaker.    She moaned with pain, partially muffled by an orange growth that had colonized the inside of her mouth.  Her eyes had been completely overgrown with spores, and it was just a matter of time before their tendrils entered her brain.   But she wouldn’t die for several more hours.   The fungus seemed to prefer parasitizing its victims before converting them into mulch.   Zinfandel would languish in this spot for days, possibly weeks, held aloft by the red stalks as they ate her alive from within and without.

Luffa didn’t dare touch her.   The spores were less dangerous now that they had taken root, but there was still the Sacred Water in Zinfandel’s bloodstream to worry about.   It wouldn’t hurt the fungus, of course.   It resonated with the demonic energy of the Makyo Star, but it was otherwise perfectly biological.   Zinfandel’s corpse would contaminate the entire field, but her master would find some way to deal with that.   

All that mattered to Luffa now was that she had fought for her world and for her slavery and she had won.   Luffa wanted Zinfandel to know that while she still had any higher brain functions left.   So she leaned as close as she could to one of the general’s ears and made a rasping hiss with her throat. She didn’t speak.  She hadn’t said a word since she became infected with the Mist.  But the noise she made was enough to convey the sentiment _: How dare you defy the darkness!  Your compassion makes you weak!   The darkness is inviolate!  The darkness is strength!   Your failure can only make it stronger!_

"You’re a fool.”

Luffa leaped away from the writhing mass of fungus and scanned the area for others.   She sensed no one’s presence, but she was sure she _knew_ the voice…

But there was only the wind.  The steady throb of her own pulse.    Zinfandel’s tortured murmurs.  

Luffa was alone.  

**NEXT: Aragog impression.**


	33. Chapter 33

_**[3 May 236 Before Age.  The Makyo Star]** _

Darkness, held at bay by the warm, faint light from a single doorway.  

The Wardrobe Room was one of the largest in Wildthyme’s castle.  It was a large antechamber with doors on every side, each leading into a spacious walk-in closet.  In the center of the antechamber, Zatte reclined on a cushioned divan, and admired the long shadow cast by her profile.  Inside the open closet, her paramour, the Saiyan Luffa, was taking inventory.  

Their master had been collecting costumes for years, and so the closets boasted outfits from all over the known universe.  As one might expect, the Wardrobe Room had become severely cluttered.  The demonic lord of the Makyo Star wasn’t the type to organize his collections, not when he had faithful servants like Luffa to do it for him.  

Luffa’s primary duty was to protect Wildthyme and all that he possessed.  She spent much of her time patrolling the planet’s surface, but when she was finished, he found other errands for her, like sorting his possessions.  Normally a proud Saiyan warrior would balk at such a mundane task, but since Luffa had been infected with the Black Water Mist, she considered herself to be one of the possessions she now itemized for her master.  She quite preferred it this way.  A possession had no cause for shame or regret, any more than the fantasy lumberjack costume she checked off her list, or the toy axe that came with it.   It was what it was, and it served its purpose.  

Her acquaintances from her former life didn’t appreciate this simplicity.  Recently, Luffa had fended off two intruders, both of whom had sought to undo Luffa’s new frame of mind.  She had murdered them with pleasure.  Having found no sign of other unwelcome guests, Luffa returned to the castle and resumed her everyday chores.  Even so, she remained focused, reaching out with her senses to detect the presence of any new invaders.  If anyone else dared to make a move, she would sense it and take immediate action.  

“Two intruders in less than twenty-four hours?” Zatte asked as she ogled Luffa from the divan.  There was no need for Luffa to say it out loud.    The Black Water Mist coursed through their veins.  They understood one another implicitly.  Besides, Luffa was too busy to chat.  There was a lot of old junk stashed in the closet besides costumes, and she wanted to get it separated before moving on.

Luffa was supposed to use the sexy maid uniform for this assignment, but so far she hadn’t been able to find it.  She wore the back half of a two-person llama suit instead.   This made little sense to her, but Wildthyme seemed to think this was a suitably erotic substitute until the maid outfit turned up.  She also didn’t understand why it mattered what she wore since Wildthyme wouldn’t be in the room to see her wear it.  Then again, he had given her and Zatte strict orders to rebuff his advances whenever he made them, which was often.  Maybe it was some sort of complicated humiliation thing.  She hoped he would one day reveal to her the dark perversion of the back half of a llama suit.  It had to be pretty evil, right?

“This is bad,” Zatte went on.  She was wearing a nurse costume.  There was a _sexy_ nurse costume which was basically a revealing red-and-white vinyl dress, but what she was wearing was the _regular_ nurse costume, which was simply a set of lime green polyester/cotton scrubs and an ID badge dangling from a clip on the chest pocket.  In fact, it probably wasn’t a _costume_ at all, but an actual nurse’s work clothes pilfered from a real hospital somewhere.  Luffa didn’t get this one either.  Zatte looked attractive in just about anything, of course, but it didn’t seem to fit in with the overall aesthetic.

Luffa finally emerged from one of the enormous closets carrying a box of old books and papers.  She laid it in an empty corner of the room and walked over to Zatte.   She would go over it in detail later, but first she had more pressing business with the Dorlun.

“I knew bringing you into the _family_ might provoke a response, Luffa,” Zatte said.  "You’re far too valuable a prize to simply let go, but I’m surprised your former friends managed to find the Makyo Star.  I thought I covered my tracks well enough when I abducted you.“

Luffa sneered contemptuously and made a low growl.  She’d killed the miserable fools, hadn’t she?  Geenoburr was felled with a single blow, and Zinfandel was nothing more than fertilizer by now.

"Yes, you stopped them, and you’ll stop the others, but that isn’t the point,” Zatte went on.  "If your former friends–our *enemies*–know that you’re here, they might try to destroy the whole planet.  They _can’t_ release us from Wildthyme’s control, but they may decide to employ a scorched earth strategy.  If _they_ can’t have us, they’ll do whatever it takes to make sure our master can’t have us either.“

Luffa glared at Zatte.  This was hardly the response she had in mind when she returned from a great victory.  She grabbed Zatte by the wrist and pulled her up to her feet.  They looked into each other’s burning crimson eyes, and Luffa smiled arrogantly at her.

"Yes, yes, you killed them,” Zatte said.  "You did your job, and protected me and all you hold dear in the name of our sacred master.  _My hero_.  Is that what you wanted to hear?“

It *was*.  She pulled Zatte closer, though, wanting more.  Zatte winced with pain, then leaned in to kiss her.  Luffa tightened her grip on Zatte’s wrist.  She hadn’t defended the Makyo Star for one lousy peck on the cheek.

Zatte made an understanding smile, then she struck Luffa’s face with her free hand.

"You want me, darling?” Zatte sneered.  "*Good*.  I want you to want me.  It makes you that much easier to *manipulate*.“

Luffa wiped a trickle of blood from her mouth and smiled.

"Those two you killed were only the beginning.  There may be others lurking in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to strike,” Zatte said.

Luffa chuckled.  As if they were any threat–

Zatte hit Luffa again.  Harder.   “*Find the others,*”  Zatte said with a scowl.

Luffa released Zatte and glowered at her.  Zatte slapped her again.

“ _Kill_ the others,” Zatte said, her face twisted with hatred.  "Bring me their *heads*.  _Then_ I will show you just how _grateful_ I can be.“

Luffa liked the sound of that.  She shoved Zatte back onto the bench and made her way to one of the wardrobes.  She would change into her patrol uniform and begin her search immediately.

"I will report this situation to our master,” Zatte said.  "Good hunting.“

She got up and left, and Luffa paused to leer at her until Zatte was out of sight.  Perhaps the scrubs made sense to Luffa after all.  She hoped Wildthyme would be pleased with her insight.

Back in the wardrobe, Luffa began to look for her socks and cleats.  When she shoved some clothes across the rack, she found an enormous spider waiting for her.

*******

* * *

"You’ve looked better, little mammal,” said Dr. Topsas.

Luffa stumbled backward and tripped over a box of high-heeled boots.  The arachnoid doctor was no warrior, so he never had much _ki_ energy to sense in the first place.   Still, she should have sensed _something_ at this proximity.  And how did he get in here without being noticed?

“You can thank Red Ravager for my stealthy entrance, Ms. Luffa,” Topsas said.  "I convinced the Kalooni to let me borrow his…. What did you call them?  I believe it was ‘artificial ki emitters’.  As it happens, they can conceal a person’s life energy as well.“

He raised some of his eight limbs to show her the red devices strapped to his elbows and wrists.  The Red Ravager had been a punk who used those devices to amplify his speed and powers.  Without them, he was nothing.  With them, he gave Luffa a bit of sport for one afternoon.  She had taken him alive, hoping that his gear might someday fall into the hands of a worthier adversary.  Topsas was not what she had in mind.

"I’m not here to fight you,” he said calmly.  "I know your infection has twisted your mind, so you perceive me as your enemy.  But you must understand that attacking me will avail you nothing.“

Luffa scrambled to her feet and hissed.    She had toyed with the others for her own amusement, but this time she stayed her hand to get information.  Who else was with the doctor?  Why position him here of all places?  He had to be a diversion, but for what?

"You remember Planet Bigreen, do you not?” he asked, his pedipalps moving very slowly as he spoke.  The body language of his species was impenetrable to humanoids, but she knew him well enough to know he was afraid, but not desperate.  Was this all part of some master plan, or was he simply resigned to death?

“Remember that first night in the hospital?” he went on.  "We spoke at length, and I told you–“

She screamed through clenched teeth.  

********

* * *

**_[2 January 237 Before Age.  Planet Bigreen.]_ **

Luffa sat on the hospital bed and screwed up her face.  She wrapped her tail tightly around her waist and crossed her arms so she could grab hold of her shoulders.  She looked as though she were about to explode, and was determined to hold it all in somehow.  

"I doubt that will help you control it,” Dr. Topsas said dryly.  

“I’ve lasted longer than usual,” Luffa said.  Thirty minutes wasn’t much to brag about, but it was a start.  "Those sedatives helped, but I have to be able to control this thing while I’m awake.“

The "thing”, as she called it, was a bizarre transformation she had experienced after suffering extreme trauma on the Tikosi Hiveworld.  It magnified Luffa’s already phenomenal strength, and it made her normally black hair glow bright yellow.   She could shut it off, but only with great concentration.  Conversely, it seemed that even the slightest provocation could trigger the the transformation, whether Luffa wanted it or not.  

Topsas had no idea what had caused this change.  He had brought Luffa to Bigreen’s medical facility to find out.  Less than a day into her convalescence, he still had no real answers, but he marveled at how determined she was to regain control of her body.  Though she still had a long way to go, she had made considerable progress in bringing the transformation to heel.  

“One of the nurses tells me you became upset during his examination,” Topsas said.

“I just don’t see what good it does to take my blood pressure every hour,” Luffa said.  

“It is standard procedure, little mammal,” Topsas explained.  "I must confess, there is probably little sense to it in your case, but I would ask you to be patient with the staff.“

"You know what the irony is, doc?” Luffa muttered.  "I must be stronger than any Saiyan alive right now.  But I… I’m scared to use it.  I feel like I’ll blow up the whole planet if I so much as twitch.“

"You won’t,” Topsas said gently.  "I have confidence in you, Ms. Luffa.  If you were as volatile as you suggest, you would have destroyed your ship before we ever arrived here.“

"Part of me wanted to,” Luffa said mournfully.  "I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.  I feel like I’m going crazy.  I don’t know whether to kill myself or everyone else.  Like that daughter you were telling me about.“

"Nwitt,” Topsas said.  "Her name was Nwitt.“

"You said she went nuts… I’m sorry.  That came… came out wrong,” Luffa said.  

“She became violently insane,” Topsas explained.  "The result of a rare but incurable disease that afflicts my species.“

"Did… did she know what was happening to her?” Luffa asked.  "I mean, you obviously knew what was wrong, but was she aware?“

"There were times when I suspected that she realized how detached she had become from reality,” Topsas said.  "But I must admit that this could have been wishful thinking on my part.  I wanted so desperately to help her that I often looked for encouraging signs when there were none.“

"I think I know what you mean,” Luffa said through clenched teeth.  "I want to think I’ve got a handle on this, but maybe I’m just kidding myself.“

"You remind me of her sometimes,” Topsas said.  "Not because of your precarious condition, but because of the way you struggle against it.  I failed my child, little mammal.  I will do everything I can to see that I do not fail you.“

*******

* * *

_**[3 May 236 Before Age.  The Makyo Star]** _

If this was all he wanted to talk about, she could send him to hell right now.

"Ah, then you do remember my daughter,” Topsas said.  "I thought you might.  You’ve always reminded me of Nwitt, little mammal.  Now more than ever, unfortunately.  Cliche as it may sound, I would rather die than see you meet her fate.“ He glanced around and shrugged.   "Given my current predicament, I suppose I mean that quite literally.”

She jerked her head to one side and snarled.   One of Topsas’ spawn had died at an early age, haunting him ever since.  Like all the other weaklings, he clung to that tragedy and tried to compensate by forming other pathetic attachments with the living.  He wanted her to be his surrogate daughter, a crutch to hobble through his miserable grief.   It would be laughable if it wasn’t so revolting.

“Aw, what’s wrong?  Don’t want to hear him out?”  

Luffa turned to find the source of the voice, but there was no one else.  

“Of course you don’t.  You’re too weak and brittle for what he has to say.  It’s so much easier to forget, right?  Pretend it never happened…”

If Topsas heard it, he gave no indication.

“I’ve been researching the problem, and I believe we can use transfusions to purge you of the infection.    Do you remember Dr. Malak, the phlebotomist from Bigreen?  He’s reviewed my plan and thinks it’s promising.  I know you don’t want to be treated in your current condition, but I’m telling you this to ease your mind when the rescue is completed.  You won’t be harmed, Ms. Luffa.  Everything will be all right.”

“But it won’t, will it?” the other voice said in a mocking tone.  "You’ll still be a disgrace.  A failure.  A _coward_.  And worst of all, you’ll _know it_.“

Luffa howled at the ceiling, and Topsas took a step back.  "It won’t be easy, I admit,” he said.  "But you’ve endured great hardship before.  I’ve always been amazed by your resilience.“

"He wants you to _remember_ all that shame and pain, and that’s just too much for you, isn’t it?”  

Luffa wanted to kill the speaker.  

“You’d rather wrap yourself in darkness, dress up like some stupid doll and pretend to let _your master_ do your thinking for you.”

She concentrated, desperate to find the source of the voice, but there was no ki signature.

“Isn’t that right?   And you call yourself a Saiyan.”

A miniature transceiver?

“You’re no _Saiyan_.  You’re just a monkey on a leash.”

She grabbed Topsas by the collar of his four-armed sweater and shook him.

“Let him go.  _Now_.  Or I promise whatever you do to him, you’ll regret a hundredfold.”  Suddenly the voice wasn’t so cocky anymore.  It was grim and resolute.  But its threats were empty.  Luffa was the Super Saiyan.  Topsas was just another bug to be ground beneath her heel.  Maybe once, in a part of herself she never liked to admit was there, she saw him as a father figure.    

So be it.  She would show him what Super Saiyans did to their fathers.

“I forgive you, Luffa,” Topsas said quietly.   “Whatever happens, I want you to know that.  

She raised him over her head and balled her other hand into a fist.  

"This isn’t your fault.  I have enough eyes to see that.  I only hope you do as well–”

With a single punch she caved in his face like a piñata.  Yellow and blue fluids spilled out from the wound and flowed across her left arm.    She licked at it tentatively, then let his corpse drop to the floor.    She had always wondered how he tasted, and it wasn’t too bad at all.  She knelt down and tore one of his still-twitching limbs from his body.  A little snack before moving on to find his companions…

“So that’s how it’s gonna be, huh?  You want to do it the hard way.  _Fine_.”

Luffa snorted at the voice.  It could talk tough all it liked, but that was all.  She was of the darkness, and the darkness would prevail.

Her bloodstained hands began to tremble slightly, giving lie to her heady confidence.

**NEXT: Keda’s next.**


	34. Chapter 34

_**[3 May 236 Before Age.  The Makyo Star]** _

Darkness, rent asunder by a raging fire.  

Since murdering Dr. Topsas, Luffa had changed into her workout clothes and was making her way through the castle.    Wildthyme had summoned her to the throne room, and while she hated to keep her Master waiting, she simply had to finish beating Keda to death.

She had found her in the courtyard, disguised as Wildthyme’s pleasure Android, Number 78.  Keda’s shapeshifting powers had made her virtually indistinguishable from the shapely machine, but the ruse was foiled when the real 78 happened to walk in.  Luffa wasted no time attacking both of them.  The real android was far stronger than the imposter, but neither were any match for Luffa’s Super Saiyan might.  One of them ducked a ki blast, which ignited the bushes surrounding the garden, but otherwise she was able to subdue the pair with east.  From there, it became easy to tell them apart.  

Keda was the only one that could bleed.

“Luffa, I must ask that you stop this at once,” 78 said evenly.  Luffa had the android in a headlock while she straddled Keda’s motionless body.  She had fallen after the first blow, and went unconscious moments later.  But she could maintain her shape for hours, even while asleep.  Luffa punched her in the throat.

“Luffa, what are you doing?” 78 asked.  "Did Wildthyme order you to do this?  I’d be happy to cooperate if you would confirm, but I really think we should do something about this fire.“

Since 78 wasn’t strong enough to break Luffa’s grip, she didn’t bother to try, and so she lay limp in Luffa’s arm and waited for the situation to change.    Beneath Luffa, Keda’s body shrank as she reverted to her true form, that of an eleven-year-old Dorlun girl.

She was almost certainly dead by now, but Luffa refused to take that for granted.  Keda was the most dangerous of all her potential ’rescuers’.  The Dorlun child had infiltrated the Tikosi for months, and had an almost uncanny ability to learn new skills.  Left unchecked, Keda could do all kinds of damage on the Makyo Star, and hide right under their noses.  And the brat was nothing if not persistent.

Keda was resourceful as well.  For example, she once survived a fatal knife wound by using her shape-changing powers to move her vital organs out of harm’s way.  A heavy blow to the throat would have been enough to kill most humanoids, but Keda could have prepared herself for it by collapsing her own trachea to soften the blow, or some other shape-shifting sleight of hand.  So Luffa continued beating the child, slamming her fist into her face and neck again and again and again.

Luffa could have incinerated the body with a fraction of her _ki_ energy, but she didn’t dare use something so immediate.  There was always the chance that Keda could have rigged a teleportation device, or some other trick she had developed in secret.  No, she had to keep the body where she could see it and pulverize her until there was no chance of a miraculous escape.

Ten minutes later, the fire had spread to every plant in the courtyard, and Keda’s head was little more than a pile of red pulp.  Luffa was covered in the Dorlun’s blood.  She stared at her handiwork and felt uneasy.  She had to be sure, but how?

She swung 78 over so she could face the android, and pointed angrily at the corpse.

"Yes, that one is definitely dead,” 78 offered.   “The heat signature conforms to someone who’s been deceased for several minutes.  To say nothing of the missing head.”

Luffa liked the sound of that, but she wanted more. She decided the best course was to keep Keda pinned down, while 78 monitored its temperature.  It was grisly work, and the smoke was starting to irritate her eyes, but the Black Water Mist had removed all compunctions from her soul.  She would do whatever was necessary to protect her master.  They would never take her away from this place.    _Never._

As the flames burned around them, Luffa decided she could put this time to good use.  She forced 78’s head where she could reach it with her free hand, then carefully opened the service panel just above the back of her neck.  She had a few adjustments in mind, ones that would hopefully improve their daily sparring routines…

*******

* * *

Wildthyme sat on his throne and steepled his fingers impatiently.  Zatte stood beside him, one leg propped up on the left armrest.  Her costume was supposed to be that of an ‘alien space princess’ although it was probably more accurate to call it a metallic bathing suit with shoulder guards and a sheer cape.  She crossed her arms and gave him a concerned look.

"Shall I go find her, master?” Zatte offered.  

“And leave me here alone?  I don’t think so,” Wildthyme said.  "From what you’ve told me, it’s possible Luffa is battling these invaders even as we speak.  If not, I can forgive a little tardiness.  You can discipline her for me, Zatte.  Wouldn’t that be fun?“

"The 'sexy headmistress’ dress is still unaccounted for, master,” Zatte said.  "Fortunately, Luffa _did_ find the 'naughty secretary’ one last week.  It was stuffed in a file cabinet along with some old manuals.   With a few alterations, I could–“

"No,” Wildthyme said.  

“But they look very similar,” Zatte countered.  "And I could borrow the glasses that come with the 'unruly accountant’ costume.“

"Look, I appreciate what you’re trying to do, Zatte,” Wildthyme said, “but you just don’t have the sense of aesthetics that I do.  Its enough that you wear these things.”

He patted Zatte’s leg, and when his hand lingered there too long, she swatted it aside.  

“I know they look alike,” he said as he rubbed his sore hand. “The point is they don’t look _exactly_ alike, or I wouldn’t have collected them all in the first place.  _I’d_ know the difference, and it would completely kill the mood.  If you’re going to do light S &M with Luffa, then you need to play the headmistress character.  Not some naughty secretary who moonlights as an unruly accountant.  That doesn’t even make any sense.  No, you’ll just have to wear the pirate suit until it turns up.”

“Very good, master.  What should Luffa wear?” Zatte asked.  

“Oh, um….” Wildthyme became engrossed in this problem, and he started looking around the grimy stone walls in search of an answer.  "I know!  We’ll have her dress up as you, Zatte.“

"You want _her_ to be _me_ ,” Zatte said skeptically.  

“Exciting isn’t it?” Wildthyme said.  "See, this is the beauty of roleplay.  I can live out my wildest, most forbidden fantasies.“

"Master, I’m right here.  I look like me all the time, and I’m compelled to do literally anything you want.”

“But you’ll be playing the pirate,” Wildthyme replied.  "We should have some blue makeup in storage, and there’s a spare eyepatch with the pirate gear.  We won’t get your good eye quite right, but it’ll be fine.  You should teach her some Dorlun phrases to make it more authentic… no, wait, Luffa never talks, does she?  At least I’ve never heard her say anything.   Maybe my darling 78 can do ventriloquism… Where is she, anyway?“

He stood up and paced in front of his throne.  "Yes, this will be fantastic.  Luffa will make an excellent Zatte.  Or at least I’ll enjoy watching her muddle through.  She’s not nearly as classy or poised as you, after all.”

“As you say, master,” Zatte shrugged, “but I fail to see the point.”

He smiled and held her chin tenderly.  "Why, it’s elementary, my dear,“ he said.  "As you know, the Black Water Mist removed the moral limits that checked your worldly desires.”

Zatte smiled proudly. Then Wildthyme gripped her face and put his other hand around her throat.  

“What you have yet to learn, dear woman, is that identity is just another moral limit.  You disguise it as pride but it’s really just self-esteem.  You tell yourself it’s a material treasure to be coveted, when it’s really just the last remnant of who you used to be before you became mine.”

His beady eyes widened as his grey-green face contorted with sick fascination.  " _That_ is why you wear my costumes for my amusement.  Because one day you will understand that 'you’ are whatever I tell you to be, and the sow you call 'Zatte’ is just another ensemble in my wardrobe.  And when that day comes, you will know a whole new appreciation for the darkness.  Won’t that be wonderful?“

A tear rolled down her cheek as he released her, and she smiled with the awe of a child learning to read.  "That’s _beautiful_ , master…” she gasped.  "I had no idea…“

"Of course you didn’t,” Wildthyme said with a chuckle.  "That is why you worship me after all.  Have faith in me, dear Zatte.  With time, you will come to understand the dark as well as I.  But first we shall– eh?“

Part of the ceiling collapsed, sending stone and mortar crashing down just twenty feet from Wildthyme’s throne.  When the dust settled, his android, Number 78, emerged from the debris.  She dusted off her pantsuit and straightened her glasses, indifferent to the fact that one lens was missing, and the other was badly cracked.

"What is the meaning of this?” Wildthyme demanded.  

“I’m very sorry about this, sir,” 78 said.  She was intended to function as a pleasure device for Wildthyme, except the safety protocols in her program prevented her from satisfying his depraved carnal appetites.  The best she could do was look pretty and speak to him in a deferential, affectionate tone.  "I believe Luffa is operating beyond the scope of your will.  Either that, or I am.“

"What is she doing?” Zatte asked.  

“She killed Oregano,” 78 said.  "Were you displeased with him, sir?  I attempted to intervene, but Luffa is far too strong for me to restrain.  I hope I haven’t disappointed you.“

"Why would she attack Oregano?” Wildthyme shrieked.  "He’s a Makyan demon.   The Black Water Mist makes her subservient to us.  Oregano is like a god to her!  She couldn’t hurt him unless I commanded her to do so!“  

"Then you did not order his death, sir?” 78 asked pleasantly.  

“Absolutely not!” Wildthyme shouted.  "Where is Luffa now?“

"Directly above us,” 78 said.  "She appears to be fighting–“

More of the ceiling gave way, and Luffa came tumbling down into the throne room.  She was incensed, kicking and biting at thin air.  She was carrying a mangled, headless corpse under one arm.  When she saw Wildthyme and Zatte, she tossed it onto the floor, where they could see it.  

 _"What have you done?!”_ Wildthyme screamed.  

*******

* * *

Luffa had just been about to release 78 and report to Wildthyme when dozens of warriors had come pouring into the room.  Keda had recruited help, apparently.  Luffa had supposed they were mercenaries, but it was remarkable that they would continue the mission now that Keda was dead.  

Or was she?  Luffa had beaten the Dorlun girl to a pulp.  There was literally nothing left of the child’s head but a crimson stain on the courtyard floor.  But she was a shape-shifter, and it was possible that she had arranged some clever ruse to lull Luffa into a false sense of security.  Perhaps these warriors were still devoted to the cause because they knew Keda still lived.  She had scooped up what remained of Keda’s corpse and held it tightly while she had gone to work on the mercenaries, fighting her way out of the burning courtyard and deeper into the castle.  Whatever Keda was up to, Luffa wouldn’t risk letting her out of her sight.

“Luffa, what are you doing?” 78 had asked.  "Your actions are not logical.  I must assume you are in defiance of Wildthyme’s will, and must therefore take actions to defend his interests.  As fellow property, I urge you to–“

Luffa had fired a blast into the floor, and 78 had fallen through it.  Her hope had been to get the android down to the throne room where she could protect their master while Luffa repelled the intruders, but then more of the floor gave way, and they all fell after her.  

Luffa spotted Wildthyme and Zatte immediately, and tossed Keda’s corpse to the floor so they could see what was going on.  But her master was less than pleased.

 _"What have you done?!”_ Wildthyme screamed.  "Oregano was a Makyan, you brainless _clod_!“

Luffa stared at him in horror.  That made no sense.  The Black Water Mist bound her body and soul to the Makyan race.  She could no more kill one of them than she could tear off one of her own limbs.  She looked down at Keda’s body and struggled to understand.

Only it wasn’t Keda anymore.  Luffa recoiled in horror as she recognized the black bodysuit and ashen flesh of Oregano.  He was harder to identify without his head, but it was definitely him.  

No.  No, it had to be a trick.  Keda was still alive somehow, and she had shape-shifted into the form of a headless Makyan to confuse her.  Yes, that had to be it.  But it wouldn’t work!  She turned to face the mercenaries before they could act, and–

But there were no mercenaries among the rubble.  Just 78 and her tattered pantsuit.  But that was impossible.  She had been fighting them only seconds earlier!  It was a trick! _It had to be!_  Keda must have… must have…!

"You think _Keda’s_ behind this?  Get real.  You were raised to be smarter than that.”

The voice was back.  Luffa had hoped it was Keda using some kind of transmitter.  But Keda was currently a headless corpse.  Even if the girl was alive and faking her injuries, she couldn’t be speaking to Luffa this way.  Unless it wasn’t _really_ Keda at all, but Oregano had somehow disguised himself as Keda.  No, that was ridiculous.  Why would he want to trick Luffa into killing him?  It had to be Keda’s body on the floor.  The voice had to be someone else, but who?  Who else would go to this much trouble?

It finally dawned on her.  It was her mother.  

It made perfect sense.  Luffa’s mother was supposed to be dead.  Her father, Orij, had betrayed her during a mercenary mission when Luffa was a little girl.  But she never saw her mother die.  And even if she had died, there were legends about ways to revive the dead.  The point was that her mother would object to Luffa’s conversion to the Demon Clan.  No other Saiyan would care, since they saw Luffa as an enemy.  Luffa’s allies and clients were all too weak to do anything about it, and besides, they had their own agendas to worry about.  And all of Luffa’s friends were accounted for.  Geenoburr, Zinfandel, and Topsas had all confronted her on the Makyo Star, and Luffa had murdered them all.  Keda was the last, and Luffa had her contained, if not killed.

Fine then.  She would just have to kill her mother and be done with it.  Father would have some company in hell, and they could discuss what an unspeakable horror their daughter had become.  

“It’ll take more than you to finish me, idiot.  Besides, shouldn’t you check with your _master_ first?  Make sure you don’t kill any more of his subjects by mistake.  I think he’s talking to you right now.”

Luffa turned back toward Wildthyme to find him shouting and waving his fists.  She couldn’t understand anything he was saying.  Beside him, Zatte stood in a defensive posture, ready to give her own life to protect him.  Luffa smiled.  They’d be safe enough as long as they were together.  She just needed to give them some cover while she confronted that damnable voice.  She raised her arms and started firing ki blasts at the ceiling and walls.   They took the hint, and started running for the nearest corridor, where they could be safe.  Just as she finished sealing it off, something struck the back of her head.  

“I apologize, Luffa,” 78 said. “But your behavior is intolerable.  Lord Wildthyme must be protected at all costs, and I calculate that a precision strike to your external occipital protuberance should be enough to incapacitate–”

Luffa turned and struck her face, sending the android flying across the room and crashing into the wall, which collapsed on top of her.  78 was a waste after all, she decided.  Even using her full strength, she couldn’t even hurt Luffa.  Had Wildthyme actually ordered the android to attack her?  Or had the enemy managed to trick 78 into thinking so?   This was all becoming too complicated.  She reached out with her senses and confirmed that Zatte and Wildthyme were still alive behind the pile of rubble she’d made.  She stood in front of it and raised her fists in defiance.  Whoever it was, they would have to confront her directly to get at her master.  No more tricks, no more illusions, the only way now would be a direct assault.

“Oh, so you want a _fight_ , do you?  I’ll _give you_ someone to fight.  Have fun.”

As if summoned by the mocking voice, a towering figure stepped forth from one of the entrance-ways.  Luffa knew him well enough to recognize him by his gait and posture, but the shaggy white fur was a dead giveaway.  She had been expecting Wampaaan'riix to put in an appearance.   The Yetitan warrior was the only friend left she hadn’t slaughtered.  

But there was another Yetitan with him, slightly shorter with the fur on his scalp spiked and dyed a gawdy neon yellow.  Luffa chuckled at the sight of this one.  She had never met Dewbaaac'nogg, but she knew him well enough from the day she first learned she could read the minds of others.  She had discovered this power while in battle with Wampaaan'riix, and she had accidentally experienced much of his life and memories before she managed to sever the connection.  She had intended to kill him, but after such an intimate melding of minds, she found she couldn’t bring herself to do it.  It would have been like killing herself.

“The jig is up, pretty lady!” Dewbaaac'nogg cried out.  "You’ve lasted this long, but this little father and son act is here to put the brakes on your ruckus, toot sweet!“

She cocked an eyebrow as she regarded the young man.  Wampaaan'riix had told her how his son was her biggest fan.  Apparently spiking your hair and coloring it yellow was something of a fashion statement among Yetitan’s younger generation.  Too bad it hadn’t supplanted the slang they all used.  

"Let me handle this, son,” Wampaaan'riix said.  He held his massive hand in front of the boy’s broad chest as he stepped ahead of him.   “You remember me, don’t you, Luffa?” he asked.  

She fired an energy blast from her fingertips, and Wampaaan'riix deflected it with a swipe of his arm.  

“I’ll take that as a 'yes’,” he said.  "You could have killed me just now.  I’m no match for you, I never was.  You might have toyed with me in the past, but I’m told you’ve changed.“

Luffa snarled at the two of them and raised her hand for another blast.  

"I only wish I had gotten here sooner.  Maybe the others wouldn’t have had to die, but I was too far away, and they couldn’t wait any longer.  So it falls to the three of us to honor their memory by completing their mission.”

Luffa hissed and a ball of light appeared just in front of her open palm.

“Enough, Luffa,” Wampaaan'riix said.  "You won’t kill me, no matter how badly you might want to.  You can’t.   And I think you know why.“

Luffa fired again, and he batted the blast aside once more as he walked towards her.  

"As I understand it, this 'infection’ or 'spell’ or whatever it’s called, it amplifies your selfish impulses,” Wampaaan'riix explained.  "It compelled you to kill the others because you saw them as a threat to everything you hold dear in this awful place.“

She fired again and again, but he continued to deflect her attacks.  

"But I’m different, isn’t that right?” he continued.  "You’ve shared my thoughts and feelings.  You knew I would return to my family on Planet Yetitan because you sensed how much I regretted leaving.  I remember how relieved you were when I finally did go back, as if you shared that regret yourself.  I suppose you did.  I’m like a part of you, aren’t I?  And no matter how vile and selfish you’ve become, you can’t destroy yourself, now can you?“

He was standing right in front of Luffa now, and for all her growling and gnashing of teeth, she made no move against him.  She simply stood and stared up at him with a hateful expression as he spoke.  

"I’m inoculated from the Black Water Mist, Luffa,” he said.  "You can’t infect me and you can’t kill me, so there’s not much you can do if I should decide to attack the Makyan who’s been controlling you.  However, I’m willing to spare him, if you’ll come back with me and submit yourself to treatment.  Once you’re free, you’ll probably want revenge, but he’ll have plenty of time to flee this planet and go someplace where you won’t find him.  I think that’s a reasonable compromise.  We can wait here if you wish to consult with him, but I’m sure he’ll–URK!“

"Pops!” Dewbaaac'nogg cried.  

Luffa laughed cruelly as she floated into the air, gripping the elder Yetitan’s throat in both hands.  So much for his 'compromise’.   He had gambled everything on a false premise.  Yes, in some way he _was_ a part of Luffa, but it was the _old_ Luffa, the one who cared about anything but her dread master’s will, the one who was weak and showed mercy to pitiful Yetitan wretches.  She flung him to the ground and flew down on top of him, driving her knees into his chest.  There was a sound of ribs breaking when she made contact, and in that moment she was sure it was the most wonderful thing she had ever heard.  Then she stomped on his left arm and decided his agonized groan was even better.  

While she could have made a whole day of this, she was fed up with these fools and their endless plotting.  Wampaaan'riix was sure she wouldn’t kill him, so the best way to thwart the enemy’s plan was to terminate him immediately and put that lie to rest.  As she readied a killing strike to his head, she realized just how excited she felt to be doing this.  It was like an offering of sorts.  He was an effigy of the old Luffa, and his corpse would symbolize her complete devotion to her new life on the Makyan Star.  Hopefully Wildthyme would see it that way, and it would soothe his displeasure over Oregano’s death.  Hopefully this would silence that damned voice once and for all.  

“Not so fast, hellcat!   If you’re so set on eighty-sixing him, you’ll have to go a few rounds with yours truly first!”

Suddenly Dewbaaac'nogg was standing between them, his arms raised to defend his father.  Luffa had been in enough fights to read his body language, and she could tell he knew he was outmatched, but he was ready to fight to the death if necessary.  She snorted with contempt.  

“G-get away from her!” Wampaaan'riix pleaded, but the boy ignored him.

“Listen up, chicorita,” he said to Luffa.  "Everyone back home knows you’re tops in my book, and I got the golden locks to prove my bona fides.  I always said you’d have to be a Grade-A loon to try to tackle the Legendary Super Saiyan in her own pad.  But don’t sweat it, I’m as hip as the next lad.  I know I’m way out of my league, but the thing is, that’s my _pops_ you’re hasslin’.  He might be a colossal square, but I’d be a real clyde if I just stood by and let you introduce him to the Grim Reaper, ya dig?“

Luffa glared at him, then smiled viciously.  Well she would have to deal with the boy eventually anyway, so why not kill him first?   Let Wampaaan'riix see the full measure of his failure.  To his credit, he made a fair effort to defend himself as she lunged for him, but it was utterly futile.  In mere moments, she was back in the air again, this time wrapping her fingers around Dewbaaac'nogg’s throat, just as she had done to his dear father only minutes ago.  

"N-no!” Wampaaan'riix gasped from below.  Dewbaaac'nogg struggled valiantly, but he couldn’t even budge Luffa’s fingertips, much less escape.  She looked down at the father and made a sick howl of delight.  

Really, what was the point of bringing the boy along with him?  He had staked everything on this notion that she wouldn’t be able to kill him because of their mental connection.  It was wrong, but at least there was a desperate sort of logic to it.  But what would good could his son do for that idea?  He had come all this way just to die.  

And yet, as she began to close her grip and crush his throat, she found something resisting her.  Not Dewbaaac'nogg.  No, if anything, he seemed to be nearing exhaustion from his useless struggle.  But she couldn’t seem to close her hands.  What was wrong with them?  They used to shake a lot from time to time, but not since she had been infected with the Black Water Mist.  One of the many benefits to her possession.

They no longer trembled, but they wouldn’t close right now either.  It was as though Wampaaan'riix’s prediction had come true, but for the wrong person.  Somehow she couldn’t will herself to go through with this murder, but why not?  Wampaaan'riix was like a part of herself perhaps, but she had no problem killing _him_.  What made Dewbaaac'nogg so special?  He was his son, but so what?  Was killing him supposed to feel like killing her own–?

Suddenly her hands did begin to quiver, and she found she could barely hold onto the young Yetitan, let along strangle him.  Panicking, she readjusted her grip, wrapping her arms around as much of his chest as she could, letting her biceps handle the load her fingers could not.  For the first time since her infection, she felt true terror.  What was happening to her?  

Dewbaaac'nogg could only cough helplessly as she held him.  Below, Wampaaan'riix seemed barely conscious.  Neither of them had anything to do with this sudden vulnerability she felt.  Why were her hands shaking?!  Why had they ever trembled _before_?!  She couldn’t seem to _remember._  

“Oh, you remember all right.  You _begged_ the Mist to take it away from you, but you _can’t_ forget.  You don’t dare.”

Luffa shut her eyes and screamed.  She wouldn’t listen to the voice, even if it did sound like her dead mother.  But she could still feel her hands her hands her hands HER HANDS.  And suddenly the load in her arms felt much smaller.

“Go on, take a look,” the mocking voice said.  "Unless the _almighty darkness_ is too frightened to let you.“

Luffa opened her eyes slowly, then they widened at the sight of the boy in her arms.  It was no longer a Yetitan giant on the cusp of manhood.  This was a Saiyan infant.  A newborn.  No.  It wasn’t a _newborn_ at all.  Luffa began to hyperventilate.  

"Did you really think you could just _wish this away_?  Pretend it _never happened_?  Forget what they _took from me_?!   **Like hell**.”

It was at that moment Luffa realized that it hadn’t been her mother’s voice she had been hearing at all.  

 _It was her own._  

**NEXT: The Pain of Loss.**


	35. Chapter 35

_**[3 May 236 Before Age.  Interstellar Space.]** _

“So what’s the score, papa-o-mine?  The mission was a success, but how’d I rate?”

Wampaaan'riix watched the rogue planet on the spaceship’s monitors as it receded into the starfield behind them.  Then he turned to his son and nodded curtly.  "You’ve done well,“ he said.  I spoke to her before she went to sleep in her cabin.  She thinks very highly of your fighting skills.  Given that she taught me and I taught you, I can think of no greater honor.”

Dewbaaac'nogg leaned back in the copilot seat and rolled his eyes.  "Don’t get me wrong, pops, that’s a groovy compliment and all, but Master Clupea already told me that much when I sprung her from that creepy dungeon.  I’m axing for a whole other scoop, you dig?“

The young Yetitan began combing the shaggy hair on the top of his head, carefully inspecting its shape and color.  This was uncommon among their species, since Yetitans were naturally covered with long white hair all over, but in recent years the younger generation had begun styling their scalps, and Dewbaaac'nogg had chosen a spiky look, dyed an obnoxious shade of bright yellow.  

"There is a formal ceremony to announce the results of your manhood rite,” Wampaaan'riix explained, “but it is, after all a formality.  I don’t mind telling you now that you passed with flying colors.”  

Clupea had been held captive on Mattoon, a rouge planet deep in the Qols Sector.  Honor demanded that Wampaaan'riix attempt to rescue his old martial arts teacher, but Dewbaaac'nogg had insisted on joining him.  He had been worried for the boy’s safety, but now that it was over, he realized that his nagging doubts about his fighting skills had simply been fatherly concern.  He was proud of all of his children, and he always had been, but he had never been more proud of Dewbaaac'nogg than he was at this moment.  

Still, he knew that wasn’t what the boy wanted to hear.  "I think Luffa would have been impressed,“ he added.  

Dewbaaac'nogg sat upright in his chair and looked at him excitedly.  "No jive?   _Farrrrrrrrr out!_ ” he exclaimed.  "You think she’ll want to mix it up with her biggest fan sometime?“

"I think she’d enjoy that,” Wampaaan'riix said.  "Although I haven’t heard from her in several weeks.  Federation business has probably been keeping her busy.  However, she’s always expressed an interest in your training.  I’m sure she’d make time for a sparring session.“

Dewbaaac'nogg was beside himself with joy for the rest of the trip.  Wampaaan'riix often wondered  why Luffa was so interested in his family’s welfare.  They had shared a brief mental link once, when she had accidentally discovered her telepathic powers.  So she ‘knew’ his children without having ever met them.  But surely she didn’t feel any attachment towards them.  He doubted Saiyans were so sentimental, even with their own children.  

*******

* * *

_**[3 May 236 Before Age.  The Makyo Star.]** _

Darkness, torn to pieces by a blinding, golden light.  

There weren’t very many Makyans on the rogue planet that was their homeworld.  Most of them had been deployed to other, more hospitable star systems, longing to spread their corruptive influence to other civilizations.  Historically, most of these missions had failed, but they continued to try anyway, so great was their longing to bring down the natural order of creation.  So when the loud crashes and rumbles pealed from the throneroom of their dark lord’s castle, there were even fewer Makyans present inside to hear the commotion, and even fewer close enough to the disturbance to notice the yellow glow flashing and pulsing from inside.  

Fewer still thought there was anything especially unusual about this, but they came running to see nevertheless.  Why should they worry, after all?  Their lord Wildthyme had no need for protection or rescue, not when he had a Super Saiyan at his beck and call.  Most of the Makyans knew very little about Luffa and her exploits.  They only knew that she was an invincible warrior, and that she had been possessed by the Black Water Mist, an accursed potion of Makyan invention.  Once defiled by the Mist, Luffa was completely subservient to the Makyans, and to Wildthyme in particular.  Her principal function was to patrol the planet and serve as his bodyguard, but it amused him to assign her to mundane chores and pointless humiliations.  This greatly amused his subjects as well, and so they naturally assumed that if there was an incident in the throneroom, then it could only mean Luffa was dismembering some poor fool for offending their lord, or that she was abasing herself in some way.   And so it was the promise of sadistic entertainment, not the call of duty, that sent three Makyans to investigate.

"What d'you think he’s got 'er dressed up like _this_ time?” Peppercorn asked as he ran down the west corridor.  

“I daren’t speculate, but I should hope it’s the saucy meter maid attire,” Sorrel said as he kept pace.  

“M-maybe it’s the sultry lounge singer!” said Hyssop.  

“Mmm, quite fetching,” Sorrel agreed.

“Well _I_ hope it’s the back half of that two-person llama suit,” Peppercorn said excitedly.

The other two stared at him awkwardly as they ran.  

“What?  You guys don’t like llamas?” Peppercorn asked.  

But when they arrived, they could barely see Luffa for the intense brightness of her aura.  She had assumed her Super Saiyan form, and now stood alone in the empty throneroom, surrounded by debris.  A Makyan’s decapitated corpse lay on the stone floor, and the archway of one of the corridors had been collapsed.  Above her was a large hole in the ceiling, revealing the upper floor, which was filled with smoke.  It looked like a battle had taken place, only there was no one else in the room.  No intruders, no assassins, and no Wildthyme.  

“Th-this is bad,” Hyssop.  "His Majesty wouldn’t have her acting up like this if he wasn’t around to watch.  What if… if she’s broken free of the Mist?!  She’d _kill us all!“_

"Poppycock,” Sorrel said.  "The Black Water Mist’s effects become irreversible after twenty-four hours.  Dear Luffa’s been infected for weeks.  She belongs to us now, and she always shall.“

"Yeah, this’s gotta be one o’ Lord Wildthyme’s little games, that’s all!” Peppercorn said as he entered the room.  "Still can’t have her wreckin’ the place, though.  Guess the little spitfire got carried away, but I’ll put a stop to that.“  

Normally, the Makyans were far too craven to approach someone so dangerous, but the Mist’s power made all its victims revere the Makyans as veritable gods.  Peppercorn had barely met Luffa, but he was sure she would instinctively recognize him as her superior.  This didn’t stop him from breaking out into a cold sweat  as he crossed the throneroom.

If Luffa had been aware of their presence, she gave no outward sign.  She simply stood with her fists raised in front of her chest, staring upward at nothing.  The only sound she made was heavy, throaty breathing that matched the rhythmic pulse of her aura.  Peppercorn found that he could see her better now that he was closer.  For what it was worth, he noted that she was indeed not wearing his favorite llama suit, but the cotton shorts, tall socks, and sports bra she used for patrol duty.  These, and much of her bare skin, were stained with Makyan blood.  The good news was that her eyes were still an unholy shade of crimson, a sign that the Black Water Mist was still present in her body and amplifying her darkest, most selfish desires.

"Gave us a hell of a scare, frail,” Peppercorn said with a nervous smile.  "Where’s Lord Wildthyme?“

Luffa didn’t answer.  Her expression shifted from rage to abject horror, but Peppercorn was fairly sure this was a complete coincidence.  It was as though she didn’t even know he was there.  Growing bolder, he raised one of his pudgy, warty hands to her face and squeezed her cheek.  "I asked you a question, monkey,” he said.  "Now get down on your knees and answer it.“

Suddenly her eyes darted down to glare at him, and Peppercorn nearly squealed with fright.  Before he could even reconsider the wisdom of touching her, she had seized his wrist and began to squeeze it.  Peppercorn howled in pain, then he dropped to his own knees.  He began to plead, but then the bones in his forearm started to crumble from the pressure, and he found it hurt too much to do anything but weep.

"Luffa, release him!” Sorrel cried out, but he and Hyssop didn’t take a single step out of the doorway.  Luffa turned to look at them with a detached curiosity.  Blood began to trickle from between her fingers as she continued to slowly crush Peppercorn’s wrist.  

“I _told_ you,” Hyssop said grimly.  "Something’s gone wrong.“

"Impossible!” Sorrel insisted.  Was it his faith in the Black Water Mist’s mystical properties, or simple denial?  Either way, he began racking his brain for everything he knew about the Mist, desperate to find an answer.  "She’s still infected,“ he said hurriedly.  "Perhaps she simply no longer sees us as superior demons.  I say, Luffa!  Luffa, pray listen to me!”

By now Peppercorn’s hand had been completely sheared from his body, and he fell free of Luffa’s grasp, clutching his wound in sheer agony.  Tongues of yellow flame continued to flicker on his stump.  Luffa dropped the severed hand and continued to stare at Sorrel.  

“You want something,” Sorrel said, struggling to suppress his panic.  "We all do.  That is the way of the dark.  The Black Water Mist amplifies your material desires, makes you willing to do anything to fulfill them.  But you _need_ us, Luffa!  Strong as you are, you need your _family_ to help you reach the full potential of your desires.  You belong with us, Luffa.  Let us help you become what you truly are.  Let us help you achieve whatever vile thing you wish for.  You know this to be true, but you’ve merely forgotten why you must obey.  Just tell us what this bauble is that you crave, and all will be forgiven.“

She held up her hands and stared at them with angry red eyes.  Then back at Sorrel.  Then her hands.  They began to tremble.

"Tell us what you _want_ , Luffa,” Sorrel pleaded.  "Only we are evil enough to show you the way.“

Luffa had never said word since she was infected with the Black Water Mist.  She had only communicated with grunts and growls, which was not unusual for those who had a strong reaction with the venom.  When she finally spoke, the words horrified Sorrel more profoundly than anything his dark mind had ever envisioned.

"I want my _son_.” 

*******

* * *

_**[2 January 237 Before Age.  Planet Bigreen]** _

“I found elevated levels of prolactin in your bloodstream.  To be sure, there are other explanations for this, but there’s a recent scar on your abdomen which looks very consistent with the kind of incisions used in… in obstetric surgery.”  

Luffa looked down at her knees and widened her eyes.  She had been floating over her hospital bed for most of the night, but after Dr. Topsas entered her room with test reports she had dropped to a sitting position, with her feet hanging over the side.  Her hands began to tremble.  "Then I was right,“ she said.  "It… it really _happened_.  I knew it was real, but… I didn’t want to believe it.”

She had been taken prisoner by an alien race called the Tikosi, and they had kept her drugged and immobilized for several months while they performed all sorts of experiments to amplify her strength.  Her only refuge had been the oblivion of unconsciousness, or the surreal delirium she had experienced when they kept her awake for days on end.  Even now, she struggled to discern the real horrors from the imagined ones.  

“It… it takes a while before you can sense a distinct _ki_ signal,” she explained.  "My husband and I, we… well it was a few days before I fought the Tikosi.  Captivity was bad enough, but then I sensed the baby a few weeks later and… I think I’m gonna throw up.“

Dr. Topsas helpfully handed her a nearby wastebasket, and when she was finished with it, she continued her story.  "Bad enough to be completely helpless, but I was pregnant… I couldn’t _do_ anything for the brat.  I knew the Tikosi would find out eventually.  I didn’t know what they’d do to the baby but I wouldn’t be able to stop it.  Then one day they just… took him out.”

For the fourth time that day, she transformed.  Topsas knew very little about this yellow-haired, green-eyed form Luffa had stumbled upon, except that it was unprecedented in Saiyan medical knowledge, and that it was somehow triggered by intense emotions.   She put her hands over her face and groaned, literally willing herself to change back to normal.  He believed she was getting better at this, but it was still painful to watch.  He could only imagine how difficult it was for her.

“Kandai was there when it happened,” she went on between anguished gasps.  "My own _husband_ stood there and _let them_ take our child away from me!  They just cut me open like a fresh carcass and handed it off to him!  There was no _ki_ signature after that.  I don’t know how far along I was, but not nearly enough for the kid to live.  I think I heard someone say it was a boy, for all it mattered.“

"Why would he want–?” Topsas began to ask but Luffa cut him off.  

“ _I don’t know!”_ Luffa seethed.  "After it was over, I was so _sure_ I must have imagined the whole thing. _It didn’t make any sense!_  And it was… easier.  I could just pretend there never _was_ a pregnancy, and that Kandai hadn’t betrayed me, hadn’t… hadn’t…!“

They spoke for several hours after that.  Somehow they ended up talking about Dr. Topsas’ children.  He had forty-seven, although one, Nwitt, had died of an untreatable disease.  This seemed therapeutic for the young Saiyan, as it gave them a way to verbalize her own pain without referencing it quite so directly.  Topsas was normally reluctant to discuss his daughter’s death, but Luffa often reminded him of Nwitt, and helping her seemed a fitting way to honor Nwitt’s memory.  

Finally, when Luffa was calm enough to revert to her normal state, he gave her a sedative and waited with her until she fell asleep.  Then he went to the hospital’s chapel where he prayed to his nine-eyed god until morning.  

*******

_**[14 January 237 Before Age.  Gwarthos]** _

"Is this really necessary?” Wulframeye asked.  The old alchemist’s bathrobe and fuzzy slippers belied his important role in Gwarthosian society, but it seemed unlikely he had anything better to do.  

He addressed Luffa from the edge of a small pit she had dug in the middle of an empty field.  It was winter on this hemisphere, and the ground was covered in a thin layer of frost.  Luffa stood in the center of the pit and raised up a sled she had excavated from the ground.  She was in her Super Saiyan form.  Golden energy rippled around her body, and it seemed to concentrate around the sled as well.

“The last piece of that bastard’s soul is in here,” Luffa said.  "I destroy this, and he dies.  Permanently.“  

"As I explained earlier, I have special means to see to this task,” Wulframeye said casually.  "There are no doubt many mystical defenses on this totem, and it will require special enchanted implements to destroy.  Mayhap the Bandsaw of Alfric Pantaloon…“  

"No,” Luffa said.  "I’ll handle this _myself_.  I can feel his putrid little mind inside this thing.  I know how dangerous it is.  And I know what _I_ can do.“  She tightened her grip on the sled and made a savage growl.  

"I fail to see why you should take such a personal interest in–”

“I read Hitchplick’s mind!” Luffa shouted.  "He killed that boy’s mother, but that wasn’t _good enough_ for him.  He mutilated her before she died.  Did you know she was expecting?“

"M…my word…” was all Wulframeye could say.  

“I _meant_ what I _said_ ,” Luffa said, now addressing the sled.  "I know how your little soul-trick works, and I’m going to make you _suffer_.  You will _beg_ me for death before I’m done with you.  You hear me?  DO YOU HEAR ME!?“

Wulframeye wanted to ask her to calm down, but it was far too late for that.  Luffa screamed, and her gleaming aura spread out in all directions.  The pit she stood in expanded to a wide crater, and Wulframeye was knocked off his feet.   The wizened old spagyrist was not without skills of his own.  Using a mystic enchantment of his own design, he was able to see into the sled, and peer into the intelligence which had sought refuge within.   He could sense what it sensed, and experience what it experienced.  

But Wulframeye terminated this spell almost as soon as he initiated it.  The agony was too great.  He had long ago recognized that the man known as Master Hitchplick was virtually pure evil.  He was completely irredeemable, and had been for many decades.  Most sane beings on Gwarthos rightly considered the Dark Lord to be the most terrifying being they had ever known.  

Now, Wulframeye realized that Hitchplick’s menace was inconsequential against a Super Saiyan’s wrath.  In that moment of psychic contact with the sled, he knew that Luffa had made good on her promise.  Whatever was left of Hitchplick begged and pleaded for release, and this was only met with more and more pain.  Wulframeye almost found himself pitying his longtime nemesis.  

 _Almost._  

*******

_**[24 December Age 762.  Namek.]** _

Piccolo lay motionless on the ground.  If he wasn’t dead already, he soon would be.  All that remained of Krillin was a fine mist that had already been scattered into the wind.  Son Goku could still hear the echoes of his best friend screaming his name as he exploded.  

Frieza was too powerful to be stopped.  Goku had thrown everything he had at the alien tyrant, but it had only won him exhaustion and a false victory.  Frieza had shrugged off his most powerful attack, and now he was methodically slaughtering Goku’s friends.  And there was nothing he could do.  He could only hang his head in frustration, trembling with rage.  

Behind him, Frieza chuckled with sadistic glee.  There was nothing he could do, nothing _anyone_ could do.  Frieza would kill him.  He would finish off Piccolo.  Eventually he would hunt down Bulma, or simply destroy the entire planet.  There was nothing he could _do._

When Frieza spoke, the words hit Goku like an ice-cold knife through his heart.  

"I think the brat should go next,”  Frieza said, gesturing towards Goku’s five-year-old son.  

And suddenly Goku’s world erupted into a golden fire.

*******

_**[3 May 236 Before Age, the Makyo Star.]** _

“I want my _son_.”

_As Luffa uttered the words, things suddenly became clearer than they had been in weeks.  Her friends’ efforts to rescue her from the clutches of the Makyans had never been real.  Her mind had been playing tricks on her as it struggled against the effects of the Black Water Mist._

“Your son?” was all Sorrel could say.  " _What_ son?“

_Geenoburr would have had no idea of her predicament.  Even if he had been aware, he would have simply destroyed the Makyo Star and killed her rather than make an impassioned plea for her to resist.  He was a poet, but he was still a Saiyan, and far too practical to give up a tactical advantage against a stronger opponent._

Luffa began to laugh as she walked slowly towards Sorrel and Hyssop.  "That’s right,” she said.  "You had _no idea_ , did you?  I never told Zatte that part of my story.  The story of how I became–“ she waved up at her glowing yellow hair, which rippled and waved on her head like a living thing– ”– _this_.  I don’t like to talk about it.“

_Zinfandel had been intimate with Luffa for a brief time, but their relationship went no further than that.  Besides, she was a general on her home planet of Festid III.  Like any soldier, she went where she was sent, not on some foolhardy adventure to rescue a one night stand.  Now that this was apparent to Luffa, she felt embarrassed that she had ever imagined such an egotistical scenario._

"So tell me,” Luffa said.  "Which one of you dark, dark demons is going to find my boy, huh?   What _spooky_ powers are you going to use to bring him back from the dead?“

_Dr. Topsas was no warrior.  He hadn’t the skill to sneak into the castle and lie in wait for Luffa in one of the closets.  And for all his compassion and faith, he wasn’t naive enough to think he could simply talk a person down from whatever the Black Water Mist was._

Sorrel could only play for time.  "Well… I’m certain there are black arts for such a problem.  We could–”

“Which one of you _'evil masterminds’_ is going to put him back inside me?” Luffa shouted.  "Is it _you_?  Is it Lefty over there?   It’d be a big job, and he looks like he might need a _hand_.  Ha!  You see what I did there?“

_Even if Keda had been bold enough to infiltrate the Makyo Star, she wouldn’t have been sloppy enough to get spotted immediately.  The Dorlun shapeshifter would have hidden in the pantries disguised as a rat, and waited for an opportunity to present itself before making a move.  But Luffa didn’t have that kind of patience, and so neither did the Keda of her imagination._

She stood right in front of Sorrel and pointed at Hyssop.  "I’d like _him_ to be there when I deliver,” she chuckled.  "Saiyan births are… _intense_.  I might want to hold someone’s hand while I’m at it, and it’d be an _honor_ to have a _dark creature of the night like you_ there with me.  I’d ask Lefty, but… yeah.  You look a little sturdier though.“

Hysop could only whimper with terror as he held his hands close to his sunken chest.  Sorrel swallowed hard.  Luffa laughed again.  

_Wampaaan'riix never would have risked the life of one of his children, not even for Luffa’s sake.  She realized now that she had only imagined his son as her mind had struggled to recall her own.  Having linked minds with Wampaaan'riix, she often thought of his children with more than a twinge of envy._

"Ha ha!  I’m funny and I’m the Super Saiyan and you bastards can’t do a damn thing about me, can you?” she said ominously.  "Your boneheaded twit of a lord screwed up.  He enslaved Zatte with the Black Water Mist, then he sent her to seduce me, and _just_ when I let my guard down–“

She made a biting motion and the sound of her teeth clacking made the two Makyans jump with fear.  

"Yeah, so I was infected.  I still am.  I can feel it right now, all those dark, violent impulses.  The blood, the mayhem.  I think it’s the only thing keeping me from killing you both right now.  Part of me really _does_ want to get down on my knees and do whatever you say.”

She looked down at her clothes and snorted.  "Look at this getup.  You dorks enjoy this stuff, don’t you?  I could destroy this whole planet without batting an eye, and you had me playing dress-up just to prove a point.  And I actually enjoyed letting you because I _almost managed to forget_.  That’s what the Mist does, right?  It’s supposed to make you forget stuff like honor or love.  So you can think about what’s really important, like hate and revenge.  Trouble is, the people I hate the most are the ones who hurt what I love.  And the thing I want to avenge is my honor.  That’s a tricky balancing act.  I guess the Mist could only manipulate that for so long.  Maybe it still is, and I’m just _slowly going insane_.“

She grabbed Hyssop by the front of his tunic and shook him violently.  "What do you think, pal?!  You’re supposed to be like a god to me, right?  So what’s your take on all this?!  I’m pretty sure you’ve got a couple options here, 'master’.  You can give me what I _really want_ , and I _might_ just fall back under the spell.  Or, you can find me a cure before I _break every bone in your body_.”

“There is–!” Sorrel began to shout, but when Luffa glanced back to him, he softened his tone.  "There _is_ no cure,“ he whispered mournfully.  "This has never happened before.  You’re one of us now.  You… you simply shouldn’t be _able_ to–”

It was at that moment Sorrel realized just how hopeless the situation truly was.  The Black Water Mist was one of the most powerful, most absolute weapons in the Makyan arsenal.  It took centuries to prepare, and had to be used sparingly.  If this woman could resist its effects, even partially, then it was ultimately useless, and the Makyan cause was doomed to inevitable failure.  And if there was no cure, then she really _was_ one of them now, and Lord Wildthyme had foolishly married their dark power to a warrior of the light.  In her wrath, she would bring down his entire race from within.  She would show no restraint or mercy, because how could she?  The Black Water Mist wouldn’t let her.

Furthermore, she had just driven her fist through his abdomen, so that was another bad omen.  

“Remember how I said the Mist was the only thing keeping me from killing you guys?” Luffa asked as Sorrel sank to the floor.  "How part of me actually wanted to kneel before you?“  

She shook Hyssop harder until his neck finally snapped from the constant motion.  Then she dropped him and fired an energy blast at Peppercorn, killing him instantly.  

"I just decided that part of me is too weak to stop me,” Luffa said. “If _you_ can’t help me, I’ll do it _myself_.  Right after I settle things with 'our lord’.”

The last thing Sorrel saw before he died was Luffa walking towards the corridor she had sealed off, presumably to search for Wildthyme.  His last thought was at the utter futility of his entire race, and that, no matter the outcome of this incident, the Makyans rebellion against the natural order had been a failure from the beginning.

**NEXT: From Beyond.**


	36. Chapter 36

_**[3 May 236 Before Age.  The Makyo Star]** _

Light.  Punishing, furious, uncompromising _light._  

This was what assaulted Wildthyme as he and his slave Zatte stood in the collapsed corridor of his castle.  His other slave, the Super Saiyan Luffa, had gone mad and attacked one of his Makyan subjects.  Then she trapped them here for some unknown purpose.  Escape would have been advisable, but Wildthyme couldn’t bring himself to flee down the corridor and out the open end.  This was his domain, the seat of power, and Luffa was his loyal enforcer.  If she had somehow turned against him, there was nowhere he could hide, but if the situation could be salvaged, he longed to reclaim her and the power she represented.  

So he ordered Zatte to dig them a path through the rubble.  The Dorlun soldier was no match for a Saiyan, but she was still strong and resourceful, and he really had no other alternative unless he wanted to get his own hands dirty.  She began without hesitation, although it would take hours for her to get anywhere.  Fortunately for Zatte, the work was obviated when Luffa came smashing through, flooding the tunnel with the golden glow that radiated from her Super Saiyan form.  She grabbed Wildthyme and shoved Zatte to the floor.  

“N-no!” Wildthyme screamed.  

“ _Yes,_ ” Luffa said ominously.  It was the first word he had ever heard her say, and it filled him with dread.  Once he had delighted in making her wear degrading costumes for his amusement, but now he could barely stand to look at her.  

She dragged him back into the throneroom and dumped him into the great obsidian chair.  "This is my fault really,“ she said.  "I was weak.  I see that now.  Creeps like you see this bright yellow hair and all this power and you think it’s _glorious_ , but there’s actually a lot of grief and shame behind it all.  I never wanted to admit it, but I wished there was a way to just take it all away, and then you got me jacked up on the Black Water Mist.  It gave me a way to forget my past, to pretend like it never happened, pretend I didn’t care.”

She turned away and clenched her fists.  "And I let it,“ she said.  "I let it turn me into some shameless, honorless _coward_ like you.  I actually let you _control me_ because it was easier than bearing my own pain.  But you couldn’t hold up your end!”

“Enough of this!” Wildthyme screeched.  "By the power of the Black Water Mist, I command you to stand down!“

Suddenly Luffa faltered.  Her eyes, which were bright red from her infection, now glowed like hot coals.  Her golden aura was as strong as ever, but she winced with pain and looked as though she might double over.

"I had planned a disciplinary session for you, Luffa,” Wildthyme said.  "Zatte was going to wear the pirate costume and it would have been so much fun, but I see stronger measures are needed.  You’ve learned the power of the darkness, but you still do not understand that my mastery of it is superior to yours.  Now _bow before your lord_!“

Luffa straightened up and smiled in spite of the pain.  "Oh, very _good_ ,” she said haltingly.  "I was afraid… you wouldn’t be able to put up…. a fight.   Thought maybe you only… dispensed the Black Water Mist.  But you _do_ have some direct power over it.  I can feel it in my blood, _burning_ , responding to your commands.  Here’s the problem.“

She raised her fists then brought them down as she raised her _ki_.  Her golden aura flooded the entire room.  Peals of thunder sounded from outside the castle.  A bolt of lightning arced through the stone walls and struck Luffa on the back.  Electricity danced over her body as she screamed, but she was completely unhurt by the torrent.  All around them, the stone structure of the palace began to rumble and crack.

"On some level!” she howled.  "On some level, part of me _wants_ to give in to you, Wildthyme!  That part’s desperate that you can make me forget again, and we can go back to what we were doing before!  But it’ll never work!  You may have control over my mind and body, but there’s _one thing_ a Saiyan _always keeps_!  And whether I like it or not, my pride won’t _let me_ forget the indignity I suffered!  You can’t stop it, you can’t contain it!  Hell, you don’t even understand it!“

Soon it was Wildthyme who bore a pained expression, as though his efforts to assert control over Luffa had been too great a strain.  He went slack in his throne, and Luffa smiled triumphantly.  It was then that Zatte entered the room.  

"You haven’t won…” Wildthyme muttered.  "I may not be able to control you directly, but I still have _her_.  She’ll never be free of my influence, and you know it!  A single word from me, and she’d pluck out her one good eye and swallow it!“

Luffa frowned and glanced over to the Dorlun woman.  Zatte’s costume revealed a great deal of her blue skin, which was covered in dust from all the rubble Luffa had left in her rampage.  Her short red hair was mussed and her eyepatch looked like it needed straightening.  Like Luffa, she too was infected with the Black Water Mist, but she lacked whatever Saiyan trait had enabled Luffa to resist its corruptive power.

"That’s right, you’re rather _fond_ of her, aren’t you, Saiyan?” Wildthyme gloated.  "I know _she_ fancied _you_ before she joined my fold.  It amused me to play with your romance, but I could make her despise you if it pleased me. Or I could simply make her kill herself right here in front of you.  I think I might like this better, really.  Instead of robbing you of your free will, I can just use your girlfriend as a hostage.  Just give yourself to the Black Water Mist, and I promise to make things… _pleasant_ for the two of you.“

Wildthyme cackled as he gestured to Zatte.  "To me, my dear.  I think I’ll have to keep you close from now on, just in case little Luffa’s pride gets the better of her good judgement.”

But Zatte ignored him.  Instead, she lowered herself to the floor, and knelt before Luffa in a show of total obeisance.  

“Wh- _what_?” Wildthyme sputtered.  "Zatte, what are you doing?“

Luffa snorted.  "On your feet, Captain,” she said.  "Just take it easy for a minute.“ The Dorlun stood reverently, and Luffa shook her head at Wildthyme.  "I think the Mist just had a change in management.  We only deferred to you Makyans because you were darker.  More evil.  Isn’t that how it works?”

She approached the throne and grabbed Wildthyme by the collar of his robes.  "But the darkness is _easy_.  You chumps think it’s powerful, but it’s really just a place to _hide_.  Close your eyes and ignore the world.  Crawl under your bed and hope the truth goes away.  Invent all sorts of horrors because you can’t stand how things really work.   Look at you and then look at _me_ , and ask yourself which one you’d rather look up to.“

Wildthyme could only babble.   "I… you can’t do this… you _can’t_ …”

“I want this _garbage_ out of my body,” Luffa demanded.  "Hers too.  Since I don’t trust you, I’ll just have to root around in your head until I find something I can use.  Try to relax.“

Wildthyme squealed with terror as Luffa planted her hands on either side of his wretched face. But it was over almost as soon as it began.  Either he had been unable to resist Luffa’s telepathic probing, or he had simply been too terrified to try.  

"Yeah,” Luffa said.  "That gives me an idea.  Captain, come over here, would you?  I think I’ve got something.“  

"Impossible!” Wildthyme croaked.  "The Black Water Mist’s spell is unbreakable.  Even _I_ don’t know how to reverse its effects after twenty-four hours!  The two of you have been under its power for weeks!“

"Shut up before I _break your jaw_ ,” Luffa snarled.  "You’ve never batched any of the Mist yourself, but you know the recipe.  You know how it works.  And now so do _I_.“

She turned to hold Zatte in her arms, and her expression softened.  "I know you’re suffering, but I’m gonna get you out of this, Captain.  I’d tell you to hang in there, but that’s what you Dorluns do best.”

Luffa took a deep breath, secured her grip on Zatte, then kissed her.  It bothered her to take advantage of Zatte in her present condition, but she needed to make physical contact for her mental powers to work, and if her plan failed, she wasn’t altogether sure either of them would survive.  At least they could go out on a high note.  Luffa never thought of herself as romantic, but she wasn’t dead either.  

At least not yet.

*******

* * *

_**[Undateable.  Elsewhere.]** _

There lay beyond the familiar reality a multitude of other realms, other dimensions. Most beings are blissfully ignorant of the ghastly horrors that lay within these parallel realities, where the physical laws they take for granted need not apply.  And yet, the boundaries that separate these universes are quite ephemeral, and there do exist creatures who have learned to penetrate the veil and exploit whatever is on the other side.  

One such creature was Unn-th'nnk, which ever drifts through a sunless universe.  Having encountered such a dimensional boundary, it affixed itself to it, allowing its own essence to seep across to the other side.  This disturbance was noticed by the ancient fore-bearers of the Makyan race, who eventually discovered the means to harness this power for their own dark designs.  It was thus that they came to develop the corrupting elixir known as the Black Water Mist, which could convert their noblest enemies into vile servants.

But in his own realm, Unn-th'nnk was quite unaware of this.  It was thousands of miles long, vaguely shaped like a great worm with billions of humanoid arms sticking out of its hide like grotesque cilia.  Its head and skin were constantly shifting in appearance.  Sometimes its surface might appear slimy and smooth.  In the next instant it might resemble a fog of noxious bromine vapor.  In the next its formless head might suddenly resemble your great grandmother.  It was all very horrifying and nondescript.  It was doubtful that Unn-th'nnk would even recognize the Makyans or their victims as living things, so tiny and alien as they were to it.  Nor did the Makyans have any inkling that Unn-th'nnk was the dread monstrosity behind their sorcery.  All they knew was that it was available to them, and it was effective.

All Unn-th'nnk knew was that the secretions it sent through the boundary were a lure, one that attracted other life forms for whatever reason, only to bind with them and channel something of theirs back to Unn-th'nnk.  What can we call this something that Unn-th'nnk craved?  Sustenance, perhaps.  Whatever it was, it never seemed to weaken its hosts.  Rather, it just rendered them cruel and violent, although much of this was by the Makyans’ design.  In any case, Unn-th'nnk seemed to feed upon this situation, to the detriment of those who fed it, so we might well think of it as a parasite, like an enormous tick clinging to the flesh of an entire universe.  

How long had this arrangement persisted?  Unn-th'nnk neither knew nor cared.  It had what it needed, and so it thrived on this horror, thinking its blasphemous thoughts and doing whatever transdimensional parasites did all day.  Until one day something went wrong.  One day, one of its host organisms managed to trace the psychic connection back to it Unn-th'nnk.  This was especially jarring for Unn-th'nnk, since it had no idea what sort of unspeakable things it had been preying upon.  

“ _There_ you are,” she broadcast into its Outermind.  "The old texts said the Mist was like a living thing.  I knew if I pushed hard enough I’d find the source.“

Its thoughts were harsh and penetrating, like a deep wound opening up from the inside.  Unn-th'nnk was revolted by the intrusion.  It throbbed and quivered furiously, but there was no obvious recourse against this outrage.  

"Listen to me _very carefully_ because I will only say this _once_.  I don’t know what you are and I damn well don’t care.  Release us from this thing you’re doing, or I will make you _suffer._ ”

How dare this mote of a creature dictate terms to it!  Was not Unn-th'nnk one of the Elder Horrors of G'r'bleh?  Foretold to emerge at the Dusk of Souls?  What was this insolent _thing_ , who tainted its mind with thoughts of “Saiyans” and “pride” and “grief”?  She would be stopped!  She must be stopped!  Her confounding thoughts had already penetrated into the Innermind, and were corrupting the sustenance!  She–

“You want to fight, huh?  I can respect that.  Put up your dukes, pal.  Or whatever it is you’ve got.  I’m not in the mood to hold back.”

And then the agony of the intrusion became magnified a trillionfold!  Every coherent thought Unn-th'nnk had was replaced by her scream.  The intrusion resonated throughout its entire body, contaminating it with alien memories of fisticuffs and stovetops and hospitals and dozens of bizarre creatures with four or six or eight limbs.  Only moments ago, Unn-th'nnk had no idea what a ‘baby’ was, and now it was consumed with pain over losing one before he could be born.  Unn-th'nnk was driven to madness by the sheer incongruity of these images.  Acting on pure instinct, it forgot its lofty status, forgot its basic need for sustenance.  All it wanted was to rid itself of the awful woman who tormented its mind.  

But it couldn’t break free in time.  The contamination spread to the very secretion it had seeped into the woman’s universe, it flowed into every being Unn-th'nnk had fed upon, and thus back into Unn-th'nnk.  It was a feedback loop of impossible sensations and emotions.  Unn-th'nnk’s billions of arms began to rip one another from its hide.  It thrashed and struggled but there was no escape, no target to attack.  It could only writhe in agony as it burned from within.  

And in this sunless void it called home, Unn-th'nnk suddenly glowed with a yellow aura, one that would flash and roil across its pitiful body for the remainder of its misbegotten life.  Over the next thousand eons, it would slowly starve to death, having forgotten its hunger.  Instead it would roam the benighted cosmos, terrifying all it encountered with the awful light that now infected it.  

In that universe there had been no name for dread.  There had been no need for one, until Unn-th'nnnk’s fateful encounter.  Thereafter, the hideous beings that dwelled in the darkness would use one word to describe the terror they sensed at Unn-th'nnk’s passing.  For wherever it would go, its diseased mind would project its madness to others, giving them the slightest taste of what it had seen beyond the veil.  And so from Unn-th'nnk they would learn their new word for fear.  

They would call it “luffa”.

*******

* * *

**_[3 May 236 Age.  The Makyo Star.]_ **

Zatte awoke to find herself in Luffa’s arms.  She was still in her Super Saiyan form, still summoning a storm of ki to surround them.  But her eyes were now a piercing green, rather than the awful red brought on by the Black Water Mist.  

“What… happened?” Zatte asked.  "Luffa, you…!“

"I think it worked,” Luffa said.  "I could feel it breaking down inside my own body, but I wasn’t sure it was doing anything for you.  Looks like I cured you too.“

"Luffa, I think you cured _everybody_!” Zatte gasped.  "Anyone infected with the Black Water Mist is free now.   I’m not sure how I know that… but…“

"Easy, Captain,” Luffa said.  "We can sort it out later.  Right now we have to get off this rock.“

She lowered her gently to the floor, where Zatte crouched on one knee and ran her fingers through her hair as she struggled to comprehend what had happened.  She didn’t even notice Wildthyme watching them until Luffa approached him.  

"I guess I did a number on your palace while I was at it, huh?” Luffa said.  The castle had been completely destroyed since Luffa’s telepathic excursion began.  Piles of debris lay in all directions, and only the floor of the throneroom and its inhabitants had gone unscathed.  Above them, the dark maroon skies of the Makyo Star loomed overhead.  

“I never should have tried to enslave a Saiyan,” Wildthyme muttered.  "You’ve cost me everything.“

"Enh, you might want to give Zatte over there some credit,” Luffa suggested.  "Dorluns are pretty clever, at least the ones I know.  It was her idea to recruit me, right?  Maybe somehow she knew it’d backfire on you, and it was her way of turning the tables.  Something to think about, anyway.“

"You’re going to kill me now, aren’t you?” Wildthyme said glumly.  

“Nope,” Luffa said.   She savored the dumbfounded look on his face before she explained.  "Dorluns don’t believe in revenge, so I thought I’d spare you, out of respect to her.“

Zatte was amazed.  "I think I’d be all right making an exception in his case, Luffa,” she said.  

Luffa looked back at her and grinned.  "Really?  I mean, I kind of enjoyed it.“

"You _what_?” Wildthyme asked.  

Luffa shrugged.  "Sure, the outfits.  The collars.  Making us feed you grapes.  I wouldn’t have signed up for any of that, but it _was_ kind of hot.  My people are a little prudish, so there’s an advantage to letting someone else call the shots.  Right, Captain?“

"Um, no?” Zatte said.  

“Look,” Luffa said, gently tugging Wildtyhme out of his seat.  Once he was standing, she caressed his cheek with her hand and smiled amorously at him.  "Give me a few months to bring her around, and we’ll come back sometime.  We’ll find some place to be _alone_ , just the _three_ of us, and… see where things lead.“

Wildthyme was overjoyed.  "You… you really mean that?” he asked. “You… and her… of your own free will?  I never _dreamed_ that….”

Luffa punched him in the gut, just hard enough to knock the wind out of him.  Wildthyme sank into his throne and gasped for air.  

“Dream on,” she said, resuming her harsh demeanor.  

“You’re broken, Wildthyme.  No Black Water Mist, no castle to rule from, no bodyguards to protect you.  Hell, some of your men might still be alive under this wreck, but I doubt they’ll feel very loyal after all this.  I’m no pundit, but I’m pretty sure what we have right here is a power vacuum.  One of you bastards will come out on top, but on top of what?”   She waved her arm at the wasteland of volcanic rock that surrounded the ruined castle.   “This planet’s a _dump_.  If I blew it up, I’d be doing you all a favor.  No, I don’t need to send you chumps to hell.  You’re already here.”

She went back to Zatte, took her hand and helped her to her feet.  "We’re leaving.  I take it our ship is still where Zatte landed it when we arrived?   Good.  If anyone tries to interfere with our departure, they die.  If you ever so much as think about coming after either of us, I’ll make today feel like a pleasant memory.  Got it?“

Wildthyme could only nod meekly and watch Luffa take to the sky with Zatte in her arms.  They were only twenty feet in the air before she turned back to address him one last time.  

"By the way,” she said.  "I fixed that damn robot of yours.  Enjoy it while it lasts.“

And then she was gone.  

*******

* * *

"I can’t believe you spared his life, Luffa,” Zatte said as she began preparing the spacecraft for departure.  "Considering everything he put us through, I was sure you’d torture him to death, or eat him alive, or something.  Hey, can you double-check the thrusters for me?  I’d like to keep an eye on the sensors in case they try anything as we take off– Luffa!“

She had maintained her Super Saiyan form all the way to the ship, and only now did she revert to her normal form, where she collapsed onto what was left of the circular bed that was mounted in the center of the cabin.  Zatte dropped what she was doing and ran to check on her.

"I wish I _had_ eaten the little creep,” Luffa muttered.  "He probably would have tasted awful, but I’m starving.  Whatever I did to cure us, it took a lot more out of me than I wanted to let on.  I think you’re gonna have to get us home on your own, Captain.“

"Right, just leave it to me,” Zatte said reassuringly.  "I… I can’t thank you enough, Luffa.  Is there anything I can get you?“

"Just get us underway,” she said.  "I’ve still got enough power to protect us if they try anything, but I’d rather take a nap.“

Zatte kissed her on the forehead and went back to the controls.  "Well, like I was saying, I appreciate the gesture, but I know Wildthyme better than you.  He was _obsessed_ with us, and I’m sure once he gets back on his feet, he’ll try to come after us again.”

“No,” Luffa said grimly.  “He won’t.”

*******

* * *

Hours later, Wildthyme had barely moved from the site of his ruination.  He had left his throne, wandered around in a circle aimlessly, then sat down on the floor of what had once been his throneroom.  He couldn’t decide how to proceed, mainly because he saw no point.  The other Makyans on the planet would come for him eventually.  He was no safer from them here than anywhere else on the planet.  Even if he survived them, there were stronger, more ambitious Makyans deployed to other worlds.  Eventually they would try to contact him for orders and when they received no reply they would smell the opportunity for advancement.  That was the Makyan way, after all.  Whoever emerged victorious would inherit a weakened domain, ruled from a demolished castle on a planet whose location was no longer a secret.  

Suddenly there came a shift in some of the debris.  Wildthyme hid behind his throne in terror, but at last a figure emerged, and it called out to him in a familiar voice.  

“Sir?  Sir?  Can you hear me?  Are you undamaged?”

It was his pleasure android, #78!  Luffa had attacked her before bringing down the entire castle, but she was quite durable.  As the dust settled, he could see her shapely figure in the low light of the outdoors.  There wasn’t much left of her pantsuit at this point, and her long brown hair had been pulled completely free of the up-do she normally wore it in.  It hung over her face, obscuring it from sight.  He noticed a tinny quality to her voice as well.  She needed repairs, but at least she was still strong enough to dig herself out of the wreckage, which meant she was more than strong enough to protect him against any usurpers.  

“Ah, there you are, sir!” 78 called as she approached.  "Where is Luffa?“

"Gone,” Wildthyme said, pointing skyward.   “She took Zatte with her, I’m afraid.”

“Aw, I’m sorry to hear that, muffin,” 78 cooed.

“It doesn’t matter,” Wildthyme said, his beady eyes glimmering with newfound hope.  "You’re here to help me rebuild.  When the time is right, we’ll find them, and then we’ll make them… wait, what are you doing?“

"I have some good news, pumpkin,” 78 said as she unbuttoned what was left of her blouse.  "My safety protocols have been overridden!“

"What? How?” Wildthyme asked.  But instead of an answer, 78 simply kicked him in the chin, then climbed on top of him.  

“Executing Program 001,” 78 announced to no one in particular.   “You’ve been a very bad boy.”

She swept the hair from her face, and Wildtyhme saw that most of the synthetic “flesh” had been shorn away.  Maybe it was Luffa’s attack, or damage sustained from the castle’s collapse, but where there had once been an attractive woman’s countenance, there was now a chrome-plated skull glaring at him with wide, unblinking eyes.  

“78, stop this at once!” he screamed.  

“I’m sorry, but I have a very long backlog of programs to carry out before I can accept any new orders,” 78 said.  "I would have begun earlier, but my priority was to protect you from harm.  Now that Luffa is no longer a direct threat, I can finally fulfill your 'wildest fantasies’, as you called it in the program summary.“

She slapped his face, and three of his teeth were loosened from the blow.  

"As I was saying: You’re not worthy of my touch, worm!  I’ll have to punish you first!”

“78 stop this!” he cried.  "You’re _hurting me_!“

"Indeed, sugar-cube,” 78 said.  "This was why my manufacturers programmed me with safety protocols, to ensure that I would not use excessive force during interactions with organic users.  A valuable safeguard, but one which has always thwarted your desire for a 'pleasure android’.  It also prevented me from using my full strength to spar with Luffa, but she eventually found my user manual, and used the access codes listed to adjust my settings.  Now I can finally execute all seven hundred sixteen programs you wrote for me!  Isn’t that wonderful, you ungrateful wretch?“

She struck him again, this time dislocating his jaw.  He doubted he would remain conscious for much longer, although it was very likely 78 would simply wait for him to wake up and start over.  And when she finished the first program, there would be 715 more to follow.  None of them provided a scenario where he would be permitted to reset her, even if he remembered how.  

All he could do was lie in the dust and suffer.  Eventually 78 would kill him without even trying.  Luffa had been right.  There was no need to finish the job herself.  The Saiyan would have been doing him a favor.  

And as 78 began to shatter his pelvis, the lord of the Makyo Star moaned a desperate appeal to the darkness that surrounded him, which he had served so faithfully.  

The darkness declined to answer.

**NEXT: Comeback.**


	37. Chapter 37

**[4 May 236 Before Age.  Extraliga]**

“She’s not coming back, is she?”

The man who asked this pointed question was Marshall Ryba Booth, the top military commander of an interstellar Federation founded by Luffa.  Her motives were less than idealistic.  The young Super Saiyan had simply grown too powerful to find satisfaction in mercenary work.  She wanted bigger thrills and stronger competition, so she proposed a grand alliance to several of her most influential clients and coerced them into agreement.  In theory, the member worlds would prosper without having to constantly worry about their neighbors, since Luffa had promised to settle any internal squabbling with extreme prejudice.  And only a powerful foe would dare challenge such a strong coalition of planets, which was exactly the sort of challenge Luffa had been seeking.  

The fact that the Federation actually worked was a happy coincidence.  Its citizens enjoyed the benefits of a peaceful, multicultural society, and new worlds had anxiously applied for membership, but this was never the point.  No, the Federation was simply bait of an astronomical scale, an enormous chip Luffa had carefully balanced upon her shoulder.  It only took six months for someone to come along and try to knock it off.  

The only trouble was that Luffa had vanished right around the same time.  No one was sure who the invaders were, but they managed to take Extraliga in a matter of hours, and their fleet had kept Booth and his forces busy ever since.  The war was only twelve days old, to be sure, and Booth was fairly confident he could hold the line without the Super Saiyan Federatrix.  But why had it even come to this?  Where was she, now that her moment had finally arrived?

In an abandoned subway office on Extraliga, the beige-skinned, dark-haired woman who received his communique had no answer.  She feigned confusion, and swayed her tail around in mock indignation, and said “What the hell are you on about, Marshall?  I’m standing right here.”

The image of Booth on the monitor shook his head and and sighed.  "Come now, my dear, I’ve been ruling the planet Woshad for twenty years.  I’ve used political decoys since before you were born.  I’m a bit surprised to see Luffa uses them, but it only means I had underestimated her.“

She hung her head in resignation, and much of her coarse, Saiyan swagger fell away.  "Didn’t fool you, huh?” she asked.  

“To your credit, it was a masterful performance, and I didn’t really begin to suspect until the war began.  Since then, you’ve been talking about ‘secret missions’ and 'undisclosed locations’, but we both know the _real_ Luffa would never abide such subtle tactics in a full-scale war.  Not for _this_ long, at any rate.”

He leaned back and straightened the jacket of his red military uniform.  "My guess is that you were stranded behind enemy lines when the fighting broke out,“ he said.  "You’ve been angling for me to take back Extraliga, so maybe you’re there.  If so, I’m sorry.  I can’t commit the necessary forces.”

“I believe you, Marshall,” she said.  "We’ve gone over enough battle plans together, unless you’ve been showing me phonies.  What I don’t get is why you bothered talking to me at all.  If you knew I wasn’t Luffa, why’d you even take my calls?“

A broad smile formed on his dark brown face.  "I wasn’t _entirely_ certain at first,” he admitted.  "You _do_ have her command codes, and you certainly _look_ like her.  More importantly, you show a talent for military strategy.  The defense of Despye you proposed?  It worked brilliantly.“

"Hey, great!” she said with a very un-Saiyan cheerfulness.  "Now you ought to have a clear path to relieve the siege on Kaloon, right?“

"Not a _clear_ path, but very close to what you anticipated, yes,” Booth said.  "You’ve been a valuable resource these past few weeks.  But you’re not the Federatrix, and that must be dealt with.  I’ve shared my suspicions with the Council, and we’ve begun planning a new government.  There might be a place for you in it.  We could use an advisor like you.“

"You’re offering me a job?”

“Unless you think your current employer is still alive,” Booth said.  "That was the other reason I stayed in contact with you.  You’re my only connection to Luffa.  If she’s still out there, if she hasn’t abandoned us for some new adventure, you’re likely to be the first one to know.“

"I’m sorry, Marshall,” she said.  "You know as much as I do.  But I think she’s still on our side, wherever she is.“

"So be it,” Booth said.  "I’ve learned to trust your instincts, so perhaps you’re right about this as well.  In the meantime, I’ve transmitted some updated star charts to look over.  Encryption sequence J.“  

They signed off, and the woman sank into her chair and took a deep breath.  As she relaxed, her body shrank until she had reverted to her true form, that of an eleven-year-old girl with blue skin and deep red hair.

"Well, at least we got that out in the open,” the Dorlun said aloud to no one.  "Now I just have to win the war for him so he can get me off this planet.“

Keda went to the storage crate in the corner of the room and helped herself to a bottle of water she had stolen from an Occupation storage depot.  When she was finished, she checked the proximity sensors she had set up around her bunker, then began decrypting the new charts.  

When she finished, her initial assessment was that things were not going well at all.

* * *

**[4 May 236 Before Age.  AS974-C.]**

The Saiyan cruiser had been sitting right were they had left it after Luffa had slaughtered its entire crew.  Zatte had spent an hour going over its systems, and the logs confirmed her suspicions: the Saiyan King Revahl had ordered this ship to hunt down Luffa and kill her.  What the crew hadn’t known was that Luffa was infected with the Black Water Mist at the time, making their impossible mission that much more suicidal.  

The very idea of it bothered her.  Not just that Zatte had been the one who infected Luffa, and thus participated in the bloody encounter on this uncharted planet.  Nor the fact that they had been forced to return to the scene because their own spacecraft was too low on supplies to complete the trip back to Federation Space.  No, what truly disturbed Zatte was that the Saiyan race seemed to have no sense of community whatsoever.  They would kill one another just as ruthlessly as any outsider.  Revahl styled himself as a king, and had tried to unite his people as a single nation, but many Saiyans rejected this notion entirely, preferring to go it alone in a harsh and uncaring universe.   Luffa’s family had been especially critical of the Kingdom of Saiya, yet even they all turned against one another in the end.  Luffa’s father betrayed her mother, and then Luffa killed him when he betrayed her.  

In fact, it was that same Saiyan treachery that had saved them from the Black Water Mist.  Luffa’s husband had betrayed her as well, and Luffa’s righteous fury towards him proved too great for the Mist to control.  The Saiyan had used her telepathic powers to break the spell, not just to free herself, but everyone else infected with the Mist as well, including Zatte.  

Through that brief but intense mental connection, Zatte knew the full extent of Luffa’s pain.  Luffa had become pregnant by her husband, and yet he arranged to have the fetus surgically removed at a time when she was utterly helpless to stop it.  This, perhaps more than anything, had led to Luffa’s transformation into a Super Saiyan, the pinnacle of achievement for a race of warriors who only valued strength.  And yet Luffa’s own people now regarded her with skepticism and derision.  Now, Revahl had declared war on Luffa, or so it seemed.  Did he think he could possibly win?  And what would be left of the Saiyan people when it was over?  

The Dorlun woman shook her head when she thought of it.  Her own culture valued resourcefulness and survival above all.  Community was everything to the Dorlun people, because they recognized one another as teammates serving a greater purpose.  But the Saiyans seemed to view each other as competition in some enormous bloodsport.  It was perhaps a miracle that they hadn’t driven themselves to extinction millennia ago.  

She looked at the dark blue Saiyan uniform she now wore, and wondered if artifacts like this might be the Saiyans’ only legacy in a few generations.   It was tragic, but Zatte had to admit the suit was comfortable enough.  It certainly felt better than the metallic one-piece swimsuit she had been forced to wear while under the Mist’s control.  

Once, when she was younger, she might have been thrilled to wear the uniform of a 'space warrior’.  There was a time when she thought Saiyans were exciting daredevils who roamed the stars in search of adventure.  She had fallen for Luffa almost as soon as her family had hired on to defend the colony on Dorlu Prime.  Zatte had kept those feelings a secret, but she had often fantasized about Luffa returning those feelings.  On lonely nights she would look up at the night sky and imagine the two of them running off together on some wild escapade through the galaxy.  In those daydreams, Luffa would hold her tightly and call her 'Zattie’.  She hated that nickname when anyone else used it, but somehow she thought it would be more appealing to hear Luffa say it.  Maybe it was dumb to invent a pet name for yourself, but it was Zatte’s imagination and her prerogative.

Reality hadn’t been quite so idyllic.  Luffa had married a Saiyan man, the colony had fallen to alien invaders, and Zatte had lost an eye in the battle.  When the two of them finally did run away together, it was under the influence of demonic venom.  Through it all, Zatte had learned that the Saiyans were far more alien to her than she had ever dreamed.  Luffa seemed genuinely interested in a relationship, but she had to wonder if it was even feasible.  The Dorlun imperative was to survive, but those who joined Saiyan communities never seemed to live for very long.  

For a shameful moment, she caught herself wishing she was still under the influence of the Black Water Mist.  It made things easier, if nothing else.  Zatte knew of other life forms who saw risk as thrilling, even romantic, but for a Dorlun it was heresy to endanger oneself for no tangible purpose.  The Mist’s corruptive power had allowed her to take unnecessary chances, but now she was herself again, and she had to face the dilemma head on.  Was Luffa worth it?  

"A sign would be nice,” Zatte muttered aloud.  

The sensors showed Luffa had re-entered the ship, and so Zatte went to meet her in the mess.  She found her sitting at a bench, ripping into a pile of individually wrapped protein bars Zatte had laid out for her.  The Saiyan crew had enough rations to feed a dozen Luffas, which was fortunate because she had been starved to the point of exhaustion.  A cold sweat had formed on her beige skin, which was covered in dried blood and grime from two separate worlds.  

“Th-thanks for leaving this grub out, Captain.” she said between mouthfuls.  "You, uh… You eat already?“  When Zatte nodded, Luffa continued.  "It’s not much on flavor.  When we get back, I’ll make you something nice.  Omelet or something.  I like to put a little batter in the eggs.”

“Will you tell me why you buried those Saiyans?” Zatte asked.  "I checked their logs, not that there was much doubt about it.  They were sent to kill you.“

"I had that Mist crap in my system when I killed them,” Luffa said.  Her voice grew steadier as she ate, but she still sounded weaker than usual. “They deserved better than what I did to them.  I let you camouflage me with your powers.  And then we just left their mangled corpses laying on the ground.  I didn’t even transform while I slaughtered them.  I could have done that much at least.”

“Is that why you insisted on digging those graves in your Super Saiyan form?” Zatte asked.  "I’m surprised you didn’t pass out from the strain.  Look, I don’t like what we did either, but what difference does any of it make?  They’re just as dead.“

"But _I’m_ not,” Luffa muttered.  "I’m _alive_ , and I plan to stay that way, and when I look back on this experience, I’d rather remember honoring those poor bastards instead of gouging their eyes out like a coward.“

"Luffa, they were your _enemies_ –”

“ _They were Saiyan warriors_ ,” Luffa insisted.  "They risked _everything_ to do battle with a stronger foe.  Yes, it was me they were after.  Yes, that made us enemies.  But it’s still _courage_ , Captain.  If a 'Super’ Saiyan doesn’t honor _that_ , then what good am I?  What good is _any_ Saiyan?  I have to stand for something better.“

"Even if it gets you killed?” Zatte asked.

“I wouldn’t expect a _Dorlun_ to understand,” Luffa said bitterly.  She paused to chew on the next bar, seemingly relishing the awkward silence.  "You know, I could have gotten us both killed when I freed us from the Mist.  Would you rather I hadn’t tried?  It would have been the _safer_ option.  We’d still be alive.  Together, even.  We just would have been… different.  If you had a choice, would you have let me take the risk?“

"But I knew you’d pull it off,” Zatte said.  

“How?” Luffa asked.  

“My people don’t just survive for its own sake,” she said.  "We believe we serve a higher cause.  We don’t always know what that is, but I’m damn sure it wasn’t what the Makyans had in mind.  Being enslaved to them was like a living death, but Providence wasn’t finished with me yet.  That’s where you come in.  I wouldn’t expect a _Saiyan_ to understand.  I don’t always understand it myself.  What’s important is you were there when I needed you.“

"You think I’m… what?  Some kind of an angel?” Luffa said.  " _Pfah!_  I get enough of _that_ crap from my fan mail, Captain.“

"No, an angel would smell better,” Zatte said.  "When are you gonna change out of that getup?  I laid out a clean uniform for you.“

"Hmmph!  Like I’d be caught dead dressed as one of Revahl’s _lackeys_ ,” Luffa said.  She turned her head and spit on the deck to show her contempt.  

“ _Clean. That. Up_ ,” Zatte said harshly.  

“What?”

“You heard me,” Zatte said.  "If you want to 'stand for something better’, how about you stop spitting every time someone says something you don’t like?  If you’re so damn proud, why not take a shower once in a while?“

"We’ll stop someplace and get some clean clothes,” Luffa said as she opened her mouth for another protein bar.  

Zatte slapped it out of her hand.  

“It’ll take at _at least_ a full day to reach another planet!” Zatte said.  "You can change now, or you can sleep in the airlock the whole way, because I’ve had about all I can stand.“

"Maybe you’d like to go back to the Makyo Star then!” Luffa shouted.  

“At least _they_ did laundry once in a while!” Zatte shouted back.  

Luffa looked up at her and her face twisted with rage, then she hung her head and began laughing.  "You give as good as you get,“ she said.  "Maybe this will work out after all.”

“What’s so funny?” Zatte demanded.  

She looked up and smiled.  Her dark Saiyan eyes were still haunted and troubled, but she looked genuinely happy.  Zatte had almost forgotten what that looked like.  She had missed it.  

“I’ll wear the stupid uniform,” she said.  " _And_ I’ll clean up the deck.  _And_ I’ll grab a shower.  Anything you want as long as I don’t have to sleep in the airlock.  Just let me finish eating, okay?“

"Well… good,” Zatte said.  "Great.“

"I’ve missed arguing like this,” she said.  "Gotta admit, it feels a little weird with another woman, and an alien at that.  But I could get used to this.  You’d make a good Saiyan wife, Captain.  Takes one to know one.“

"Is that a proposal?” Zatte asked.  

“Enh, I should probably finish hunting down the last spouse before I go trading up,” she said with a shrug.  

Zatte took a seat opposite Luffa and held her hand.  "Listen.  I know what Kandai did to you,“ she said solemnly.  "I’m sorry.  I think you didn’t want me to know, but I do.”

“Thought so,” Luffa said.  "I picked up some stuff from your mind while I was at it.  It only makes sense you got something from mine.  I never meant to burden you with–“

"I know how hard it was for you,” she said.  "And then you had to relive it in order to free us.  I want this–“ she squeezed Luffa’s hand for emphasis ”–to work, and I think you do too.  But we don’t have to force it.  I know how hard it is for you to trust after so many betrayals.“

She swallowed her last bite and looked down at their hands.  

"He never cared about me,” Luffa finally said.  She was trying to hold back tears, and Zatte could feel the Saiyan’s hand quivering beneath her own.  "I thought… I _really_ thought he and I had something special, you know? And then… “  Her expression shifted from heartbreak to harsh resolve. "He has to die, Captain.  I know your people don’t think highly of revenge, but this is _justice_.  I can’t let him get away with it.”

“I understand,” Zatte said reassuringly.  

“No, you _don’t_ ,” Luffa said.  "The bond between a Saiyan mother and her child is _sacred_.  We believe that every pregnancy is a battle, and our mothers are our first opponents in life.   When I was old enough to walk, my mother taught me the basics of combat.  The day I finally managed to land a blow on her was the proudest day of her life.  It meant I was finally strong enough to face the rest of the world, to take my place as a warrior, even if I wasn’t a very strong one.“

She closed her eyes and began to take slow, controlled breaths.  "You _don’t_ interfere with that process,” she said.  "You just _don’t_.  It’s what makes us Saiyan.  I would have been _honored_ to bear Kandai’s children, to train them the way our mothers trained us, but he _didn’t even care_.  He wouldn’t even let our own son finish that first fight.  My culture doesn’t have a lot of boundaries, but that’s one of 'em, and he crossed it.“

Luffa opened her eyes and the look she gave Zatte was like that of death itself.  "I keep trying to explain it to myself, like maybe he had a good reason.  He probably figured I was practically dead anyway.  Or maybe he couldn’t stomach having a yellow-haired _freak_ raise his offspring.  But it doesn’t matter.  Honestly, sometimes I wish I didn’t have to kill him, but he has to _pay_.  My son’s blood cries out to me.  If you and me are gonna… well, you need to know where this road leads.”

“How do we find him?” Zatte asked.  She couldn’t quite believe she was saying the words out loud, but the look of relief on Luffa’s face made it all seem worthwhile.

“First thing’s first,” Luffa said.  "I need to get back to my ship and touch base with the Federation.  Well, _first_ , I really should take that shower.“  She stood up and dusted the crumbs off her chest.  "How’s the ship, Captain?”

“We’ll be ready to leave in a few minutes,” Zatte said.  "And would you lay off that 'captain’ stuff?  The Dorlun militia’s been finished for years.“  

"I just like to respect people’s ranks,” Luffa said.  "Martial codes mean a lot to me.“

"Fine, then I’ll just start calling you 'Madam Federatrix’.  When we get back, you can appoint me 'Executive Star Lesbian, First Class’, and it’ll be completely ridiculous.”

“Okay, okay,” Luffa said.  "Give me twenty minutes, and I’ll give you a hand on the bridge.“

"Get some rest!” Zatte said.  "I can handle the ship by myself.  You’re exhausted.“

Luffa threw up her hands and headed for the aft section.  "Fine!  Fine.  You’re the boss,” she grumbled on her way out.  "I’ll see you in the morning, Zattie.“

Zatte stared at the open doorway for a full minute.  Maybe it was a coincidence, or maybe Luffa had telepathically picked up on Zatte’s adolescent fantasy and decided to go along with it.  There was nothing miraculous or profound about adding another syllable to someone’s name. It could have been a slip of the tongue.  There was bound to be a perfectly logical reason for it.

But logic didn’t stop Zatte from smiling and humming excitedly to herself for the rest of the evening.

**NEXT: Beachhead**


	38. Chapter 38

**[6 May 236 Before Age.  Extraliga]**

Lieutenant Glucagon didn’t really know why Wist had invaded Extraliga.  He supposed he didn’t particularly care, either.  His home planet had once been called Goldwall, named for the legendary fortress which housed an invincible warrior from a bygone era.  That warrior had returned, and his mighty power had reunited the warring factions under the banner of the ancient Wist civilization.  "The Partner Provides,“ as the legends told, and this much had proven true.  The Shockmaster had transformed Goldwall from an anachronistic backwater into a sleek world of chrome and silver.  He possessed ancient technology and weapons that seemed to work miracles.  Everyone on the planet was eager to put aside their differences and join the winning side: his side.  

For reasons known only to the Shockmaster, the next step on his agenda was an invasion of the distant world of Extraliga.  A fleet of starships would have needed six weeks to make the journey, and Goldwall lacked the sort of military force needed to conquer and hold such a world, but these obstacles were nothing to the Shockmaster.  Glucagon remembered his deployment well.  The silver carapace and gauntlets of his uniform contained force field projectors and other devices to make him a match for almost any alien warrior.  His sidearm could punch a hole through a mountain.  Once he was trained in their use, he and the others of his unit were sent to a large room containing a strange obelisk that glowed a dull orange.  He remembered being bathed in white light, and feeling cold, and then nothing.  Moments later, he found himself standing on the plains of Extraliga, just outside one of their military installations.  The Extraligans used such bases to repel invading starships, but they never expected troops to simply appear in their very midst.  The battle was short and the victory sweet.  And now Glucagon and his comrades used Extraliga’s own defense bases to support their occupation of the planet.  

The locals had spoken of a grand alliance, a "Federation”, which was not even a year old.  They warned that their founder had visited the planet recently, and would return one day to liberate them.  Glucagon paid little heed to such tales.  If the Federation truly intended to rescue Extraliga, why had they not done so weeks ago?  He had been scanning the stars from his post ever since the invasion, and there had been no sign of anyone.  

Until now.  

“Unidentified vessel,” he called into the communications system.  "By the authority of the Wist Occupation Army, you are hereby ordered to adjust your angle of approach and assume geostationary orbit over these coordinates.  Failure to comply will be interpreted as a hostile act.“

There was no reply.  He called over to his comrade across the room.  "Do we have a fix on the approaching vessel?” he asked.  

“It’s a Saiyan light cruiser,” reported one of the corporals.  "She’s supposed to have a crew of ten, but I’m only picking up one life sign.   Maybe two, but the second one’s kind of erratic.  My guess is they took heavy casualties, and they’re making a crash landing on the closest habitable planet they can find.“

"Can we establish a weapons lock?” Glucagon asked.

“Negative, sir.  Surface-to-orbit weapons weren’t designed to hit anything that small and maneuverable.  And this isn’t really an attack vector.  Our targeting systems weren’t designed for such a steep trajectory.  They’re just coming straight down.”

“Can we scramble fighters to intercept?”

“They’ll hit the ground by the time we get a fighter in range.”

Glucagon set his teeth.  "Fine, send the fighters anyway.  We’ll let them crash.  If they manage to survive, we can round them up and send them to the Tunnel with the other off-worlders.  Time to impact?“

"Sir, they’ve altered course!  Leveling off in the upper atmosphere!”

“What?!”

“I have two patrol fighters moving in to intercept.  Wait… they’ve fired something.  No… it’s a person!  But who would bail out at this altitude–?”

“Open a channel to the fighters!” Glucagon snapped.  "I want to know what’s going on up there!“

"Sir, we’ve lost the fighters,” the corporal gasped.  "They’re… gone.  Whatever that thing was that came out of the cruiser just… Well, they’re gone.“

"Alert the senior staff,” Glucagon ordered.   “Scramble all fighters.  Get me telemetry on the–”

“Sir, it’s headed right for us!  I didn’t think a Saiyan could move that fast, but it’s–”

Glucagon was about to demand an estimated time of arrival for the hostile, but the explosion he heard outside was answer enough.  "All hands to battle stations!“ he shouted.  "We’re under attack!  I repeat–!”

And then there was an explosion right in front of him, as the wall of the tactical room was blasted apart.  The creature who entered looked like a Saiyan, but her hair and tail glowed bright yellow, and her eyes were an intense shade of green.  

“Welcome to the Federation, folks,” she said ominously.  "You won’t be staying much longer.“

********

* * *

"And while she kept the Occupation troops busy, I set the cruiser down outside the city and tracked you down on foot,” Zatte explained.  "So it really wasn’t too hard at all.  I’m more impressed with _you_ , Keda.  When we picked up the Dorlun survival code, I never would have dreamed it could have been you broadcasting from the middle of a planet in enemy hands.  We’re not supposed to use that unless we feel safe in our surroundings.“

The two of them were moving across the Extraligan capital city, avoiding the Wist soldiers and their checkpoints.  Every so often, Zatte would stop at a convenient spot and scout ahead using the telescopic sight on a plasma rifle she had stolen.  

"Well, I managed to stay hidden, and I knew they’d never detect the survival code frequency or recognize it as a message,” Keda said.  "So I thought it was justified.  I figured the only Dorlun who would try to answer the hail was you, with Luffa to back you up.“

"Sorry we took so long,” Zatte said.  "It’s all my fault.“

"Don’t say that,” Keda scolded.  "The Black Water Mist must have been pretty potent stuff to make you do those things.  If anything, _I’m_ to blame.  I just assumed you were on the level because you proved you were Dorlun.  It never occurred to me that you might have been compromised.  I should have–“

"You’re a kid, Keda,” Zatte said.  "I know you’re smart for your age, and Luffa’s come to depend on you a lot, but you can’t be expected to think of everything.  It was tough on all of us, but we survived, and we’ll learn from it.  That’s all we can do.“

They ran across a deserted street and crouched behind a bench.  Zatte leveled her rifle while Keda peered over her shoulder.  Unlike the feathered Extraligans, Dorluns were blue-skinned, red-haired humanoids, and would have stuck out as aliens to the Wistian patrols.  However, Luffa’s surprise attack had the soldiers off-balance and distracted, and the Dorluns had the added advantage of their unique powers.  Zatte could manipulate certain forms of energy, including the wavelengths of light that might be used to detect her presence.  Keda was a shapeshifter, and she had been using a myriad of disguises to elude the Wist Occupation Army for the past several days.  Together, their combined skills had allowed them to cross the city almost as easily as it would have been before the invasion.  

"I still can’t believe Luffa’s gay,” Keda said idly.  "I mean, I’m happy for you guys, but man. You think you _know_ somebody.“

"She’s bi, actually,” Zatte said as she adjusted her scope.  

“By where?” Keda asked.  

“I’ll explain later,” Zatte said.  "Two of them posted at the intersection.  We should cut through that building over there.“

"It’s just, I was so sure she was hitting it off with that pilot on Cothroon,” Keda said.  " _I_ thought he was cute, anyway.  On the bright side, maybe that gives _me_ a shot at him.  When I’m older, you know.  I’m playing a long game.  I’ve never been on a date, but I watch a lot of movies and I’ve been working on what to say if– Oh, wait, you meant _bisexual_ , didn’t you?  Sorry, I didn’t pick up on that right away.“  

"Checkpoint ahead,” Zatte said.  "Looks like the same set up as the last three.  I should be able to unlock the doors.“

"So maybe she _was_ getting along with that pilot after all.  I mean, obviously not _too_ well… Hey, and that explains was why she spent so much time with General Zinfandel.  I never understood it.  I mean, she was _beautiful_ , sure, but at the time I didn’t think that would have mattered.”

“Keda, can we _please_ focus?” Zatte asked.  

“Sorry,” Keda said.  

Zatte continued scouting the area for a minute, then looked up from her scope.  "Wait, who’s General Zinfandel?“

"Oh, uh…  Well, no one you need to worry about,” Keda said.  "That’s _ancient_ history.  We haven’t been back to Festid III in forever.  Still, it explains everything.  The general kind of looked like a movie star, you know?  But don’t worry, I’d say you’re definitely on her level.  I think.“

Zatte rolled her eye and groaned.  

*******

* * *

**[6 May 236 Before Age.  Planet  Wist.]**

**"I PUT YOU IN CHARGE OF THE OCCUPATION ARMY, ZYD,”** the Shockmaster bellowed.  He was a mountain of a man, and when he spoke, his voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere.   **“I PUT YOU IN CHARGE OF EXTRALIGA.  THE F-TUNNEL WILL MANAGE ITSELF.”**

He stood in the great hall of Goldwall Fortress, from where Zyd Rayleigh Argon and his ancestors had once ruled the planet.  Generations of inbreeding had made most of the later Lords Argon quite mad, culminating in the last of their line, Rayleigh.  Like his predecessors, he had ruled mainly by threatening to unleash the power of the Shockmaster, but now that he was free, the legendary partner had turned the tables.  Now the Shockmaster ruled Wist, and Argon had to settle for the role of a senior official.  Now Lord Argon was a lord no more, and he had to settle for a view of his former manor from  a video transmission from halfway across the galaxy.  

“You are correct, O wise one,” Argon said coolly.  "The F-Tunnel is the perfect place to hold our prisoners.  It is completely secure, self-operating, and yet it provides easy access to Extraliga.  Thus, it also serves as an ideal command post from which to run the Occupation.  Why risk exposing myself like a patch of bare skin before a sharp flaying knife?  I am no mighty warrior like Kandai, nor a cunning manipulator like Calgon, nor a sublime leader like the Guardian of our planet.  No, unlike your other lieutenants, I am a despot, best suited to administration at a distance.“

**"THEN WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT THE ATTACK ON OUR OUTPOSTS, ZYD?”**

“A salient question, my Partner.”  He held a knife in his hands and carefully held it up with only his index fingers on either end. The tip of the blade dug into the flesh of his fingertip, but not enough to draw blood.  The Saiyan plays into my hands.  In her zeal to retake Extraliga, she thinks herself unstoppable.  Inexorable.  Like a fine obsidian _scalpel_ , peeling our troops from the surface of the planet like strips of skin from a helpless victim.  But in truth we know that she underestimates the depths of our forces.  She merely _scrapes away_ the outermost layers, doing no harm at all to the epidermis.  Indeed, she does not cut or penetrate us like a _knife_ at all.  Rather she… exfoliates us, like a… _loofah_.  Did you see what I did there?“

The Shockmaster was less than amused.  As he berated Argon and demanded details on his plan, M'ranga watched from one of the service mezzanines along the walls.   It had been difficult infiltrating Fortress Goldwall, but as she leveled her bayoneted musket rifle to take aim at the Shockmaster, her heart swelled with righteous exuberance.  With a single shot, she could destroy the tyrant who threatened not one, but two worlds.  She would have to contend with the security forces afterward, and she wasn’t entirely sure she would make it out of the fort alive, but she had faced worse odds and lived to tell the tale.  With any luck, she could live on to aid the citizens of Goldwall and Extraliga in re-establishing a representative government.

"Thus always to tyrants!” she cried as she opened fire.  The bayonet instantly glowed a blinding white, and an arc of light shot out from the tip, heading straight for the Shockmaster’s back.  She would have preferred a headshot, if only to spare him unnecessary suffering, but the massive silver helmet on his head made this unwise.  Shooting an unarmed man from behind was distasteful to her, but there were worse evils.  

But to her astonishment, the Shockmaster did not die.  Impossibly, he had turned around and caught the burst of white energy in his enormous hand.  The light sizzled and danced in his palm like a living thing trapped by his curled fingers.  M'ranga gasped in horror.  Not only had the target survived, but he had spotted her.  

“It would appear you have your own problems, my Partner,” Argon quipped from the video projection.  

M'ranga refused to be paralyzed with despair.  With righteous fury she leaped down from her hide site and raised her rifle to attack.  "Your reign is over, Shockmaster!“ she shouted defiantly.  

**"NO,”** the Shockmaster’s voice boomed.  With a speed that belied his enormous size, he swatted M'ranga’s weapon aside before she could strike.   Then he reached down and grabbed her by the ankle.  Before she could respond, he flung her down to the floor with enough force to crack the marble surface.

**“NOT YET,”** the Shockmaster added.   **“AND NOT BY YOU.”**

M'ranga rolled over onto her back and struggled to rise to her feet.  She made it to one knee before the Shockmaster struck her again.  This time, she didn’t get up.

**“SO YOU’RE THE ONE WHO WANTS TO CHANGE THE WORLD?”** he demanded.   **“THEY CALL ME _THE SHOCKMASTER_.  YOU’VE MEDDLED IN MY AFFAIRS LONG ENOUGH.  ARGON!” **

He reached down and lifted M'ranga by the collar of her tricolor costume, and waved his free hand towards the image of Argon.  A disk of gleaming orange appeared in the air, and with a cruel indifference to M'ranga’s person, he flung her into it, as a normal man might toss a sack of refuse into a dumpster.

**“ANOTHER PRISONER FOR THE F-TUNNEL!”** he announced as she vanished into the disk.  Moments later, it shrank until it had vanished completely.  

“I shall see to her straight away, my Partner,” Argon said.  "Right after I spring the trap for our little Saiyan nuisance…“

********

* * *

**[6 May 236 Before Age.  Extraliga]**

"What took you so long?” Zatte asked.  "You were supposed to be back hours ago.“

Tossing a sack ahead of her, Luffa stomped through the airlock, throwing up a cloud of dust and soot with each step.   The Saiyan uniform Luffa wore was covered in dirt and dried blood, to the point where it was no longer possible to tell what color the fabric had once been.   Zatte suspected this was deliberate.  

"I wanted to make sure they’d be busy for a while,” Luffa said.  "I hit every base of theirs between the spaceport and this mountain range we’re sitting on.   We should be safe until I head back out to start the next round.“

"I told you she’d overdo it, Zatte,” Keda said.  "The Saiyans don’t do diversions very well.“

Keda had expected some brusque retort from Luffa, but instead the Saiyan simply gawked at her like she had seen a ghost.  Before Keda knew it, Luffa had scooped the youth into her arms and held her tightly.   "You’re _okay_ ,” she said quietly.  "I thought… I thought you’d… that I had…“

"Luffa, I’m fine,” Keda said.  "What’s gotten into you?“

Luffa set young Dorlun down and tried to compose herself.   "I… well, it doesn’t matter anymore.   Where’s Doc?”

“We got separated,” Keda said.  "After you and Zatte disappeared, we came to the spaceport to try to figure out what had happened.  Then the invasion hit, and we made a run for it.   We got cornered, and Doctor Topsas let himself get captured so I could get away.   I’ve been trying to find him, but there’s no sign of any off-worlders on the planet.   I don’t know what they’ve done to them.“

"I do,” Luffa said.   “I’ve been chatting with the locals between raids, and telepathically interrogating field commanders as I find them.  They call it the ‘F-Tunnel’ and I’m pretty sure it’s in another dimension.   If I’m right, we’re looking for some kind of portal instead of a military installation.   But it must be top secret, because I haven’t found anyone who knows exactly how to find it.”

“What’s in the sack?” Zatte asked.  

“Did some shopping while I was at it,” Luffa said.   “I don’t know about you, Captain, but I’d like to get out of this goon suit.  I’ve got my own gear in the cargo hold, but you don’t.”

Zatte opened the bag and pulled out a pair of grey pinstriped slacks and a matching vest.  "Kind of fancy for a war zone, isn’t it?“ she asked.

Luffa shrugged.   "There’s some military surplus in there too.  I figured that was more your style, but the suit was recommended by an Extraligan tailor I met, and I figured anything was an improvement.”

“Besides, you need to stay here with me on the _Emerald Eye_ ,” Keda said.   “I could use some help on the sensors.”

Zatte was about to object to this, but Luffa spoke first.  "What the hell is the _Emerald Eye_?“ she demanded.

"You’re standing in it,” Keda answered.  "It’s the name I gave the ship.“

” _You named the ship_?“ Luffa asked.

"Officially speaking, _you_ did,” Keda said.   “I only filled out the registration forms.  You signed them.”

“But that’s a _stupid_ name,” Luffa said.  "Why would you even pick that?“

"Because we both have green eyes,” Keda said.

“I have _brown_ eyes, and–oh, wait, you mean when I do the thing,” Luffa said.   “I keep forgetting about that.”

“You look good with green eyes,” Zatte offered.  

“And Zatte has green eyes, too.   Well, she has one, at least,” Keda said.  "Anyway, it’s perfect.“

Luffa rubbed the bridge of her nose and started pacing around the room.   "I’m gonna get dinner started,” she said.  "We’ll eat in two hours.  Meantime, I’d like one of you to keep an _emerald eye_ on the bridge in case the Wistians try something funny.“

"Right,” Zatte said.  

“I’ll take the first watch,” Keda said.  "You two probably want some time alone together.“

"What are you babbling abou–?” Luffa asked, but the smile on Keda’s face was answer enough.  She glared at Zatte.  "You _told_ her, didn’t you?“

"I didn’t know it was a secret,” Zatte shot back.

“It _isn’t_ , but that doesn’t mean–!” Luffa threw up her hands and turned away.   “It’s fine.  Whatever.   Now she can pester both of us.”

As she stormed out of the room, Zatte looked to Keda, who was now examining the contents of the garment bag.  

“Don’t worry about it, she just likes to throw a tantrum once in a while,” Keda said.   “Hey, this suit comes with a corsage.   Look.”

“So what?” Zatte asked.

“ _Duh_.   She bought you _flowers_ , Zatte,” Keda said.   “I mean, in a roundabout way, but that’s how the Saiyans are.  She must be _crazy_ about you.   I’ve never seen her act this way before.   Not even with that private detective on Veldtmoon…”

“Shut up, Keda,” Zatte said.   Her cheeks began to turn purple.

“Aww… You should get her something,” Keda said.   “After this is over, I mean.   I happen to know she has a few gaps in her action figure collection…”

“Shut _up_ , Keda.”

******

“I’d have things wrapped up already, Mr. President, but if I wipe them all out too quickly, we risk losing the prisoners.” Luffa said as she chopped a piece of meat in the yacht’s galley.  Beside her, the service droid, PB-2 held up a holographic projector which displayed Extraliga’s head of state.  

“You’ve accomplished more in a few hours than we had dared to dream, Madam Federatrix,” the President said.  "I don’t mind telling you we were beginning to lose hope.  But thanks to you, we can move forward with our plans to organize a resistance.“

She turned to face the image and wagged her cleaver at him.  "Do _not_ engage,” she warned.  "You’ve been playing it smart so far.  The Wist forces blindsided you and dismantled your regular military, but the civilian population still outnumbers them a hundred to one, so they have to treat you with kid gloves.  But if you force their hand, they _will_ fight back, and your side _will_ suffer heavy casualties.  Let me handle this.  Wait until I fall before you make a move.“

He pursed his lips and exhaled sharply through his nose.  "I understand.  Contact me if you need anything.  I– what is it?”

The hand of one of his aides moved into the projected image, and gave the president a datapad.  He looked it over briefly and looked up at Luffa.  "Our intelligence reports show the bases you attacked are back in operation.  Can you confirm?“

"That’s impossible,” Luffa said.  "I wiped them out.  They couldn’t have replaced that many units in such a short time.   She leaned over the counter and pressed a button on a wall-mounted console.  "Luffa to bridge.  What’s the status of Surface Defense Station #6?“

"Sensors are showing at least two hundred life signs there,” Keda reported.  "But it was uninhabited less than an hour ago.  Wait.  I’ve got life signs in Station #11 now.  Two… five… twenty of them just popped in out of nowhere.  Are they teleporting people in?“

Luffa closed her eyes and concentrated.  Her senses could detect the life energy that all living being shared, but that ability worked best with strong beings at relatively close distances.  She had to focus to sense a smaller power hundreds of miles away, and when she did she sensed…

"The same guys,” she said in astonishment.   “They’re not teleporting in reinforcements.  Those are the exact same soldiers I killed the first time around.  It’s like they’re coming back from the dead.”

“How can you be sure?” the President asked incredulously.

“ _Ki_ signatures are unique,” she explained.  I didn’t stop and get to know those guys very well, but I can still tell that they’re the same guys from before.  No, I’m sure of it.  At this rate, everyone I’ve killed so far will be back to life, and I’ll have to start all over again.“

The President made an audible gulping sound.  "But if they can’t be killed–” he began to say.

“If they won’t stay dead, then it doesn’t matter how strong I am,” Luffa admitted.  "At this rate, I don’t know how I’m going to win this war…“

**NEXT: FIGHT FOREVER.**


	39. Chapter 39

_**[7 May 236 Before Age.  Extraliga]** _

Stationary Defense Station #6 was under attack for the third time in less than twenty-four hours.  

The defending troops had only a short time to familiarize themselves with the unfamiliar Extraligan equipment they had seized, but they were disciplined and resourceful.  Their sidearms and armor were of the ancient technology of Wist, a long-dead civilization that had produced wonders in its day.  They were nervous, but they manned their posts with confidence.

Their opponent was a single warrior of unrivaled power.  They detected her approach from hundreds of miles away, but she circled around the base several times before closing to attack.  Until she did, the soldiers could only look on in frustration at the fiery contrail she left in her wake, uncertain of when or where she would strike first.  

And then, inevitably, she did strike, blasting a rampart into splinters with a burst of crimson energy from her fingertips.  A dozen soldiers perished in the opening volley alone.  She dove straight into the heart of their defenses, and wasted no time assaulting them directly.  

This close-quarters fighting placed the troops at a disadvantage.  Their pistols fired energy beams powerful enough to level entire buildings, but she wouldn’t stand still long enough to hit, and they were far more likely to shoot a comrade than their enemy.  A few were willing to take that chance, and the station glowed with green plasma bolts lancing out from every direction.  

She was too strong to defeat in hand-to-hand combat.  Their armor assisted them in that respect, but it wasn’t enough.  Her fists smashed through their personal force fields like a sledgehammer bursting through sheet metal.  A handful of especially skilled soldiers managed to land blows of their own, but rarely, and with little effect.  In each exchange, she would laugh, and they would die. The cycle repeated until there was no one left to resist her.  Finally, the last soldier fell to her might, and she stood victorious.  She had wiped out every single one of them.  

For the third time today.  

“Are you enjoying yourself?  I should think this would grow rather dull after a time.”

She looked around and spotted an aerial drone hovering nearby.  A holographic emitter was nestled among its four propellers, producing a ghostly red image directly above it.  This image depicted the speaker’s face, which was twisted with bemused contempt.  

She turned and spit on the corpse of her nearest victim, then withdrew a stopwatch from the inside of her black sleeveless shirt.  "Beating up these clowns?  Yeah, the novelty’s wearing off.  So I made a game of it,“ she said.  She held up the watch to show off the display.  "Look, Argon, I beat my old record.”

“I’ve heard much of the Saiyan lust for combat, Lady Luffa,” Argon said.  "But I find it laughable that you would allow it to override your common sense.  In mere minutes, these chattel will be primed for _undeletion_ , and your efforts will have been for nothing.  What can you possibly hope to gain by continuing this pointless struggle?“

Luffa pointed to the wreckage of what was once a radar dish.  "You might be able to resurrect your goons, but the base itself?  The equipment?  I don’t think _they_ can take much more of this.  Eventually you’ll be summoning these guys back to stand in the middle of a junkpile.”

She took a seat on a cracked cargo box and reached into her left boot to withdraw a stick of jerky.  As she chewed on it, she regarded the hologram with seeming indifference.  

“If you destroy the bases entirely, I would be forced to deploy my troops into the cities,” Argon finally replied.  "We both know this, else you would have reduced this place to a stinking crater hours ago.  Such a pity, to be so powerful, yet restrained by obligations.  Surely you’d much rather destroy this entire world with a flick of your wrist, like a fur-trapper quickly skinning his prey before moving on.“

"Nah,” Luffa said.  "I’m having too much fun hunting down your cowardly ass.  You’re hiding in the F-Tunnel, aren’t you?  A general at Station #10 told me.  I was looking for that place anyway, whatever it is.  I was planning to liberate your prisoners, and if _you’re_ there too, well that’ll save me a trip.  I wonder if you can ‘undelete’ yourself.“

"Perhaps we should end this standoff, Lady Luffa,” Argon suggested.  "We circle each other like dogs, waiting for the other to give an opening that will never come.  You cannot destroy my army, nor can I force you to leave this planet.  Perhaps it would be best to cut through this tangled knot, like a finely sharpened blade slicing through connective tissue.“

"What’d you have in mind?” Luffa asked.  "Besides really lousy knife analogies, I mean.“

The image of his face was replaced with a globe that depicted a map of Extraliga.  A large arrow pointed at a location near its north pole.  "The entrance to the F-Tunnel is located at this position,” Argon explained.  "There, we may negotiate a settlement to this affair.“

"Negotiate?” Luffa scoffed.  "You invade _my_ Federation, detain _my_ people, and you think you can just _talk_ your way out of the consequences?   What could you possibly have to offer _me_?“

The image of Argon’s face returned, bearing a piggish sneer.  "I’m certain we can find _something_ to discuss,” he said.  "You’re quite shrewd, I understand, at least from what your _husband_ has told me.“

She stood up quickly and took a step towards the drone.  The smug confidence in her expression had vanished, replaced with grim determination. _"What do you know about him?”_ Luffa demanded.  "Where _is_ he?“

"Come now, Lady Luffa,” Argon said in a mocking tone.  "You attack _my_ armies, threaten _my_ person, and you think you can just _ask_ a thing like that?“

Luffa balled her fists and set her teeth.  "Fine,” she finally said.  "We’ll _talk_.  I can be there in a few minutes.“

"Tomorrow,” Argon said flatly.  "Oh you may arrive early if you please, but there are other matters that demand my attention.  I shall deal with you at my earliest convenience.“

He began to laugh, and Luffa raised her arm to blast the drone with the same power she had used to slaughter Argon’s troops.  But the drone exploded a half-second sooner, showering her with sparks and debris.  She was incensed, but there was nothing to be done.  The drone was gone, and its master beyond her reach, at least for the time being.

Around her, corpses began to vanish, and a low, ominous hum filled the air.  Seconds later, live soldiers shimmered into view, their bodies whole and healthy, their armor polished and pristine, their weapons armed and ready.  Like the hologram generated by the drone, the soldiers seemed to be mere illusions, projected images that were shut off and reset like characters in a game.  But they had substance. Luffa could feel the life energy from every last one of them.  She had sensed it fade as she killed each one, and now she sensed it being restored one person at a time.  For a fleeting moment, she considered taking out her frustrations on these newly revived troops.  But she had defeated them three times already, and she doubted a fourth victory would give her much satisfaction.  So she took off, rolling in mid-air as she ascended to avoid their weapons fire.  

There was much to do.  Within twenty-four hours she would face Argon and he would tell her everything he knew about Kandai.  He would surrender her accursed husband, and then the two of them would die horribly.  The rest were details to be sorted out.  

*******

* * *

_**[8 May 236 Before Age.  Extraliga]** _

Aboard Luffa’s star-yacht, the _Emerald Eye_ , Zatte sat on the bridge and listened with bated breath.  Argon had clearly laid a trap, but there was no other choice but for Luffa to walk into it.  The war for Extraliga was a stalemate otherwise.  She and Luffa had discussed this well into the night, and Zatte had finally accepted the Saiyan’s plan as the only viable option, but she still didn’t like it.  So she waited, and monitored Luffa’s earpiece communicator while she cleaned and triple-checked her weapons.  

Nearby, Keda was far less composed about the situation.  

"We lost contact with her hours ago!” the child seethed.  

“You heard what she told us,” Zatte said.  "It’s some kind of wormhole.  The coordinates led to a machine that opens it, but once it closes, you lose contact with the other dimension inside.  I guess that’s why they call it a 'tunnel’.“

"We never should have let her go,” Keda fretted.  

“It was the only way.  Besides, how were _we_ supposed to stop her?” Zatte asked.  

“You could have… I don’t know!” Keda said.  "I bet if you’d put your foot down, she would have listened to you.  Instead, you’re taking _her_ side, and putting your own neck on the line too!“  

"The Wistians think Luffa’s acting alone,” Zatte explained.  "They can’t beat a Super Saiyan, but they think if they can keep her busy in the F-Tunnel, there’s no one to interfere with their occupation on Extraliga.  But they don’t know she’s got a couple Dorluns backing her up.  This is a golden opportunity to find whatever it is they’re using to resurrect their soldiers, and knock it out of commission.“

"Zatte, you could be _killed!_  This isn’t even our war!  The Dorluns aren’t _part_ of this Federation.”

“That’s pretty rich coming from you, Keda,” Zatte said.  "You’ve been working alongside Luffa for a long time now.“

"Because it’s my job!  I get _paid_ to do this, and I do it from _here_ ,” Keda said, waving her hands to gesture at the bridge.  "Where it’s safe.  What _you’re_ talking about doing is suici–“

Zatte glared at her, and the young Dorlun quickly fell silent.  Their culture prized survival above all.  Recklessness was taboo among the Dorluns.  To accuse a Dorlun of throwing her life away was a grave insult.  

"I-I’m sorry,” Keda said.  "I didn’t mean–“

"It’s okay.  You’ve lived among outsiders for too long,” Zatte said.  "So have I, but it couldn’t be helped.“  She pointed at the patch that covered her right eye.  "Was _this_ reckless?” she asked pointedly.  "Well, was it?“

"No,” Keda said.  "You and the militia fought to protect the colony.“

Zatte snorted and looked back to her work.  "I would have given up my other eye if it would have saved just one more Dorlun,” she said grimly.  “It would have been a worthy sacrifice.”

“But this is completely different!”

“You’re wrong, kid,” Zatte said.  "You’re not old enough to have read the Holybook, so I know you don’t fully understand, but we don’t just stay alive so we can hide under our beds.  I have something worth fighting for here.“

"Luffa can take care of herself!” Keda protested.  "Look, this isn’t a Saiyan thing is it?  You’re not trying to prove you’re a worthy suitor or something, are you?  

“This isn’t about her being a Saiyan,” Zatte said.  She picked up one of her pistols and plugged in its power cell to check the connection.  "And it’s not about her being my girlfriend.  It’s about what she represents, Keda.  I… well, I think she’s a _xan'nil-Dor_.“

Keda repeated the Dorlun word with a mix of awe and disbelief.  Then she swallowed hard as she considered the implications of it.  

********

* * *

_**[9 May 236 Before Age.  The F-Tunnel]** _

Under the perpetual twilight, in the center of the blacktree forest, surrounded by a henge of enormous spotted mushrooms, there was Nehh-r-cooh, a great city of gleaming gemstones, lilies, and just a touch of magic.  It’s native residents were a handsome people with breathtaking features and long, luxurious hair.  They all wore simple-yet-elegant garments of fine silk, and it was difficult to find one of them without a harp or a flute in hand, ready to play a happy melody for no other reason than to celebrate the day.

In one of the large parks, Dr. Topsas was enjoying the local cuisine at one of the many feasts held in the city.  His patient had just recovered from her injuries, and he was showing her around town.  With them was a native by the name of Threeon, who assisted Topsas in the clinic he had established there.  

"I’ve never held fruits in high regard,” he said as he slid a plate across the table with one of his eight hands.  "However this apple crumb is simply divine.“

Beside him, M'ranga sampled the dish, and she made an approving hum almost as soon as the fork had left her mouth.  "God, mother and country!  This is sensational, doctor,” she said.  "Threeon, did you make this?“

The man flashed a boyish grin and continued strumming his lyre.  "Not this week, M'ranga, not this week,” he said.  "My good friend Cystee provided the desserts this time around.  Although I dare say I could do a hair better.“

M'ranga nodded with fascination.  "That’s something I’d like to try,” she said.

“Then you ought to stay a while,” Threeon said cheerfully.  "We’ll be having the Marigold Banquet next month, and it’ll surely be my turn again by then.  Oh, and Histid will be in charge of brewing the cheerwine, doctor.  I’m sure you’ll be looking forward to that.“

"Hmm,” Topsas said, his pedipalps wiggling with enthusiasm.  "I’m certainly planning to be here for the occasion, but I seem to recall M'ranga had certain duties elsewhere.“

The young humanoid woman looked down at the tricolor costume she wore and screwed up her face.  "You’re right, doctor.  This has been a very pleasant convalescence, but I need to get moving just as soon as I’m fully recovered.   The universe needs Ensign Liberty… although I’m not really sure why at the moment.  Is that bluespice?  I love bluespice.”

Topsas passed her the small spice bottle and she began dispensing it onto her dessert.  "No, it seems to have slipped my mind.  I guess whatever I was doing before can wait.  Yes, I suppose I will stick around, Threeon.“

"Wonderful!” Threeon said.  "My mistress, Queen Phenylal, will be thrilled to hear that.  I’ll inform her straight away and we can find you a place to stay in the city.“

"I have been meaning to ask you about that, Threeon,” Topsas said.  "Nehh-r-cooh seems to have a lot of room for guests, by my reckoning.  There seems to be at least fifty of us for every one of you.  Quite convenient, really, but it seems strange for a city of this size to have such a low population.“

Threeon held his hand up to his face and giggled softly.  "Oh my, you are the observant one, Doctor,” he said.  "But a fellow with eight eyes couldn’t help but be watchful, eh?  I would need permission from my queen to properly answer those questions.  My people are hospitable, but, oh how we do enjoy our secrets.“

"I see,” Topsas said.  "I did not mean to pry.  I was merely curious.“

"It’s quite all right,” Threeon said with a delighted chuckle.  "I _can_ assure you that the truth does not involve a plague or any other sort of health crisis that would have caused a rapid depopulation.  Nothing that would trouble a physician.“

This satisfied the arachnoid greatly, and so he resumed eating, until Threeon waved to an approaching figure.  "Ms. Luffa!” he cried.   “Over here!  Come join us!”

“So, this is where you’ve been hiding,” Luffa said.  She gave M'ranga a friendly slap on the back, and pulled up a chair.  "I guess Doc’s decided to postpone the funeral, huh?“

M'ranga nodded while Luffa swung the chair around backwards and straddled it, resting her forearms on the back.  "Hard to believe I was at death’s door,” she said.  "Right now, I feel fantastic.“

Luffa sniffed at the air and glanced at the table.  "Is that apple crumb you got there?” she asked hopefully.

“Indeed,” Topsas said.  "Have some.  As for the good Ensign, I cannot take much credit at all for her recovery.  The ointments and salves of Nehh-r-cooh did most of the work, leaving me to simply apply the bandages.  Truly amazing medicine, Mr. Threeon.  Unlike any I can recall.“

"That’s good to hear,” Luffa said.  "I was hoping get a workout in today.  Little sparring session would do nicely, if you think you’re up for it, Ensign.“

” _Really_ ,“ Topsas said disapprovingly.  "I know it’s pointless to dissuade you from battle, little mammal, but even you have to find something calming about this place.”

Luffa stuffed a large piece of apple crumb in her mouth and nodded.   “That reminds me,” she said as she chewed.  "Hey, Threeon, I thought it over last night, and my mind’s made up.  I think I’ll hang around after all.  Figured you’d want to pass it on to your queen.“

"Certainly!” Threeon said.  "May I ask what changed your mind?“

She swallowed and threw up her hands.  "Beats me, really,” Luffa said.  "I can’t even remember why I came here, except to find the Doc.  I had _something_ waiting for me back home, I want to say, but damned if I remember what it is.  Guess it can’t be that important.  Besides, the _food’s_ good.  I’m guessing you don’t need any help in the kitchen, but I wouldn’t mind shadowing you guys just to learn a few recipes.“

"Oh, That sounds delightful!” Threeon said.  "I’m sure we can arrange that for you.“

"Killer,” Luffa said.  She hopped up from her chair and  started stretching.  "Anyway, Doc, I like it here, but I’ve been loafing around too much as it is.  My people have a saying: 'Use it or lose it.’  So how about it, Ensign?  You wanna go?“

"Er, I suppose,” M'ranga said.  "But right now?  We just ate.“

"That’s the _best_ time to fight,” Luffa said.  "Look, we don’t have to go all out.  I just want to go through the motions to limber up.“  She raised her hand and pointed to her open palm.  "Why don’t you give me a good punch, and that way I’ll know how much to hold back.”

M'ranga looked at Topsas, who sighed with resignation.  "You _could_ probably use the exercise,“ he said wearily.

Threeon watched the two women square off with great interest.  "You mentioned home, Luffa,” he said, “but not where it is.”

“I was born in space, Threeon,” Luffa said.  "Can’t seem to remember exactly where, though.  I’ve been living on one spaceship or another most of my life.“  

M'ranga landed her right fist into Luffa’s left hand, and Luffa immediately began shaking her wrist.   _"Nice_ ,” she said with an eager grin.  "You’re stronger than I thought.  We could probably ramp this up a bit.  Why’d you wanna know where I’m from, Threeon?“

"I was just admiring your tail,” Threeon said.  "It doesn’t quite look like any of the felinoid species I’ve ever met before.“

M'ranga powered up, and as she raised her _ki_ , a faint white aura appeared around her body.  "How’s this?” she asked Luffa.  

“Yeah, that’ll be great,” she said.  "How’d you get beat up so badly, anyway?  You look like you can handle yourself.  Anybody who could get the drop on _you_ must be pretty impressive.“

"I don’t really remember,” M'ranga said.  "They found me here a few days ago.“

"Anyway, I’m not a felinoid, Threeon,” Luffa said.  "I’m a Saiyan.“

"Wait… did you say ’ _Saiyan_?’” Threeon gasped.  

“Okay, here we go,” Luffa said to M'ranga.  "I’m not used to holding back that much, so I’ll need to raise my power slowly.“

"Take your time,” M'ranga said.  

“ _Wait!_  Don’t!” Threeon cried.

But it was too late.  Luffa increased her power only slightly, and then the whole world around them began to ripple and change.  Threeon had been waving his arms in warning, but now he doubled over in pain, and fell out of his chair.  The others began to look around in confusion.  

The buildings around them changed, becoming less fanciful.  They were still beautiful to behold, just less so.   The food on the table changed too.  The apple crumb that remained now appeared to contain no apples at all, but pieces of insect bodies.  When Dr. Topsas finally realized Threeon had collapsed, he rushed to attend to him, only to find that Threeon had changed as well.  His face was the same, but there was a chitinous coating on the skin of his forearms and parts of his head.  His features were a bit less perfect, and his hair was no longer as voluminous and shiny than before.  His ears were long and pointed now, and there were thin, translucent wings on his back.  

Luffa and M'ranga looked around to find a similar transformation playing out all over the park.  Dozens of natives had collapsed in pain, and their alien guests were astonished by the changes.  

“ _Stop her!_ ” Threeon pleaded.  "She’s _got_ to stop, or she’ll kill us all!“

"Luffa, I think he means you,” Dr. Topsas said as he began to check Threeon’s pulse.  "Please, you must power down at once.“

She shrugged and did as he asked.  The city, the food, and the people did not change back to normal, but Threeon did seem to experience some relief.  Topsas helped him up to a sitting position on the grass, and he struggled to catch his breath.  

"I _remember_ now,” M'ranga gasped.  "It was the Shockmaster.  I tried to kill him, but he defeated me like I was nothing… he sent me… here?“

"Zattie,” Luffa said.  "The ship, Extraliga, the Federation… I remember _everything_.  What the hell’s going on around here?“

She glared at Threeon, but he offered no explanations.  He simply stared up at Luffa and wept bitterly.  

"We’re doomed,” he moaned.  "A _Saiyan_ … trapped among us… We’re all _doomed_!“

**NEXT: Cage of Mercy**


	40. Chapter 40

_**[9 May 236 Before Age.  The F-Tunnel.]** _

From the other side of the galaxy, the armies of the planet Wist had used a passage through space to conquer the world of Extraliga.  So swift was the invasion that the Extraligan military was captured almost immediately.  Soon after, the Wistian soldiers combed the planet for non-native life forms, aliens who had immigrated to the planet, or were simply visiting for one reason or another. These groups were both banished to what the Wistians called “The F-Tunnel”, the very interdimensional passage they had used to invade.  

Luffa had entered the F-Tunnel, seeking to free the prisoners within.  What she found was an enchanted city called Nehh-r-cooh.  Those who entered its gates were so charmed by its beauty and the hospitality of its gentle, loving residents that they forgot their past lives on the outside, and they never wanted to leave.  Luffa herself fell victim to the effect, until her Saiyan powers inadvertently exposed the truth.  While gathering strength for a simple workout, every single citizen of Nehh-r-cooh was overcome with excruciating pain.  Unable to maintain their illusions, they and their city were revealed for what they really were, and the prisoners realized that they were being held against their will.  

But it was difficult for Luffa to be angry with the people of the F-Tunnel.  They had clearly tried to deceive her and the others, but it was such a friendly deception, and even when it was exposed there seemed to be no malice behind it.  And they were so _pitiful_.  Luffa was used to being vastly stronger than the foes she faced, but this was something else altogether.  She had fought entire armies single-handed, but she still had to _fight_ to defeat those opponents.   In this case, merely summoning a fraction of her power had literally brought them to their knees.  

In one of the larger buildings of the city, she met with some of the Extraligan generals and alien businessmen, who had become de facto leaders of the prisoner population of the Nehh-r-cooh.  Though many of them were suspicious of the situation, they all seemed to share Luffa’s sentiment.  

“I’m gonna have a talk with their queen,” Luffa told them.  "We’ll get to the bottom of all this.  For now, just tell everyone to remain calm.“

"You won’t hurt her, will you?” asked an older Xylani woman.  "I met Queen Phenyal just the other day.  Such a sweet young lady.“

"Doctor Topsas doesn’t seem to think it hurts them just to stand next to me,” Luffa said.  "As long as I suppress my power, they seem to be just fine.“

"Begging your pardon, madam Federatrix,” asked General Gordhowe, “but just how long _can_ you suppress your power?  Without it, you’re just as trapped here as the rest of us.  Besides, if you slip up, even once, you might kill them all!”    

“Then I’ll just have to be _very careful_ , General,” Luffa said.  She tried not to let her irritation show.  It was a perfectly fair question, but it was still insulting.  Saiyans weren’t exactly known for their restraint, but did he think she had no discipline at all?  Two years ago, she had transformed into a Super Saiyan, and found that turning it on was the easy part.  If Queen Phenylal had been in her presence in those days, it would have been impossible for Luffa to guarantee her safety.  But she had fought long and hard to bring that form to heel.  She knew how to control herself.  

“I just feel terrible for those people,” said a Woxalian man.  "I can’t imagine what it must be like to be so utterly helpless.“

Luffa clenched her fists and set her jaw.  She didn’t have to imagine.  She knew perfectly well how it felt.  To be deprived of all agency.  To be at the mercy of a stranger.  She could practically hear the clicking of Tikoshi mouthparts as they hooked her to their strange devices, conducted their vile experiments…

"Ma'am, are you all right?”

She shook her head and forced herself to focus on the present.  "I’m fine,“ she said.  "I won’t hurt them unless they give me reason to.  It’s a fight I want, and these people are in no condition to give me one.  Look, I need to get going.  I’ll come by later to fill you in.”

She left the building and and had to think twice before leaping into the air to fly the rest of the way.  On her way down the sidewalk, she met Dr. Topsas.  

“I thought I might tag along, if you don’t mind,” the arachnoid physician said casually.

“You think I’ll flip my lid and kill them all, doc?” she asked.  "You should know better than anyone.  If I wanted them dead, they’d be dead already.“

"Yes, I’ve seen how powerful you are at your maximum,” Topsas said.  "I shudder to imagine how devastating _that_ would be–“

"No, you haven’t,” Luffa muttered.

“I’m sorry?” Topsas asked.  

“You _haven’t_ seen my full power,” Luffa said.  " _No one has_.  I haven’t needed to use it.“

"My word…” Topsas gasped.  

“I know I was pretty unstable when I first…” she waved her hand up and down alongside her head to signify her transformation.  "You helped me get a handle on the form.  But I’m on top of that now.  I don’t need your help with this.“

"How I’ve missed your brusque confidence,” he said dryly.  "What if you’re wrong, if I may ask?“

"Then there’s nothing you or anyone could do anyway.”

They walked together in silence for a minute, and Topsas finally said: “Then seeing as I cannot help you in either event, I would rather go along, and not help you _in person_.  Is this acceptable?”

“I’d love that.”  She took hold of one of his limbs and squeezed it gently.  "Glad to have you aboard.“

*******

* * *

Queen Phenylal held court in a secluded garden in the center of Nehh-r-cooh.  Instead of a throne, she sat on the broad rim of a large marble fountain, occasionally reaching down and letting the babbling water flow between her fingers.  The illusion had been dispelled, but the queen and her people still looked beautiful and graceful, even if not quite as ideal as before.  She had deep brown skin, and her coiled hair bounced slightly every time she moved her head.  Like the rest of her people, she had long pointed ears, a sort of chitinous layer on parts of her arms and face, and long, gossamer wings attached to her back.   One of her subjects, Threeon, groveled at her feet.

"It’s all my fault,” Threeon sobbed. “I had never dreamed Luffa was one of the Good Gentlemen of the Wastes.  I fed her without a second thought!  Oh, forgive me, my queen!”

“You stand forgiven, good Threeon,” she said calmly.  "Any of us would have made the same mistake, for it has been long ages since our kind have witnessed the Children of Saiya firsthand.  It will do no good to assign blame.  We are at her mercy now, and that is all that matters.  Please go and rest, my beloved friend.“

Threeon withdrew and left the garden.  He paused to look at Luffa, as though worried to leave his sovereign alone with her, but there was nothing he could do, and so he hung his head in anguished shame.  As for Phenylal, she raised her hand and gestured for Luffa to approach.  

"Such a charming creature you are,” she said softly.  "My grandsire told me tales of your folk.  How you feast without end, and how you become terrible monsters in the moonlight.  And though you do carry the smell of sweat and the noble bearing of a wild predator, you seem much more composed than I would have guessed.  There’s a sadness in those savage eyes of yours.“

Luffa stepped forward and crossed her arms over her chest.  "You’re not quite what I expected either,” she said.  "My mother used to tell me stories about _your_ people, too.“

"I don’t understand,” Dr. Topsas said.  "Luffa, have you encountered these people before?“

"They’re fairies, Doc,” Luffa explained.  "Magical tricksters.  I didn’t catch on at first, but one of their little pranks is to lure mortals like us into their domain, and lull them into a false sense of security with their illusions.  But once you eat their enchanted food, you fall under their power, and you’re trapped with them forever.“

"I see,” Topsas said.  "An ingenious prison, actually.  How did you break the spell?“

"I have no idea,” Luffa said.  "The Wist Army… I can’t defeat them because they have some doohickey that resurrects all their casualties.  But they couldn’t get rid of me either, so their leader, some clod named ‘Argon’ invited me here to parlay.  I smelled a trap, so I showed up early, and suppressed my power so I could scout around without anyone noticing me.  In the forest outside the city, I was okay, but once I climbed over the walls, I started to forget why I was trying to keep a low profile.  Next thing I knew, I was hanging out with you guys and planning to stay.  If I hadn’t raised my _ki_ to spar with your pal Ensign Liberty–“

"Yet you did,” Phenyal said mournfully.  "In that moment, you broke our spell, shattered our illusions, and hurt every faerie in this realm.“ She clasped her hands together and held them in front of her chin in supplication.  "I beg of you, please, no more.  If you wish our surrender, I offer it unconditionally.”  

“Yes, but _why_ is this happening?” Dr. Topsas asked.  "Ms. Luffa is extraordinarily powerful, but I’ve witnessed far grander displays of that power many times.   The power itself has never been toxic to anyone.  I have never heard of anyone being hurt simply by standing near a Saiyan.“

"Luffa,” asked Queen Phenylal, “when your mother told you tales of my people, did they include the story of Asparaj?”

“Yeah,” Luffa said.  "You know about _him_ , huh?  Then I guess it really happened.“

"Please, tell me what she told you,” Phenylal asked.  "Then we might compare the accounts, and between them I think the answer shall be revealed.“

Luffa took a deep breath and sighed.  "Oh, what the hell?  Seeing real live fairies kind of makes me feel like a little kid again.  Might as well throw in a bedtime story.”  She found a dais covered in lily pads and sat on it, resting her elbows on her knees.  

“Long time ago,” she began, “there was a Saiyan who trampled a fairy ring while making great war in the hills,” she began.  And what’d he care?  They were just mushrooms to him.  He scooped up a few and ate 'em on his way to the next battlefield.  He conquered and slew many enemies, but back in the hills them fairies was mighty sore about what he’d done.  Well, they used their magic to follow 'im back to his home, where his wife’d just born him… where his wife had just born him a son.  An’ them fairies, they saw the little brat sleepin’.  Just like a good-for-nothin’ pothong! So they up and stole him away!“

"Luffa,” Topsas said.  "Why are you talking like that?“

"Oh, yeah,” Luffa said.  "I kind of start talking like my mother when I tell the old stories.  Kind of stupid, I guess.“  

"No, it isn’t,” Topsas said firmly.  "Forgive my interruption.  Please, go on.“

"So them fairies made off with the boy, and what did they care if his mother worried half to death?   What was it to them that she’d fought like the devil to bring him into the world, put in all that blood, sweat, an’ tears, only to lose him over a couple a’ doltish mushrooms!  Naw, they didn’t care one whit about somethin’ important like _that._  They just giggled and dingolayed on their silly wings, not a care in the world.   They had the boy–Asparaj his mother called him–and they raised him as one of their own.  Figured he’d grow up strong and fight their battles for 'em.”  

Her hands were trembling, and so she put them between her knees to hold them steady.  

“But they never reckoned with the pride of the Saiyans.  They only saw us for our _power_ , lil gyul, but that ain’t what makes you dangerous!  In truth!  It’s the _pride_ , th’ desire to fight and win, the desire that _burns in your blood_ , an’ all the blood o’ your kind.  The boy’s parents didn’t take this lyin’ down, and though it took many years to find them, the Saiyans made war on the fae.  Good, bloody war it was.  Take heed, lil gyul.  Them fae are heartless tricksters, sure, but they put up a good fight when they got no other choice.  

"Course, this time they had a secret weapon, and they sent their greatest warrior, Asparaj, out to fight on their behalf, to fight his own people he didn’t even remember!  An’ he did good out there, Asparaj did.  The boy was strong and fast and he knew the magicks of the fae on top o’ that.  His hands ran red with Saiyan blood, an’ his heart soared from the joy of battle.  But then he faced the warmaster, an’ they fought for seven days an’ seven nights.  Better'n any battle _you_ ever saw, lil gyul!  Then on the eighth morn, Asparaj killed the warmaster, and he took off his helm to honor his worthy opponent.  An’ what’d he find under there, I wonder?  Nothin’ but his own face lookin’ back at him, 'cause the warmaster was his own father.  That was when Asaparaj knew he was a Saiyan, an’ his rage burned hotter than ever before.  When he went to the battlefield, he was a fae, but when he returned, he returned a _Saiyan_ , an’ before he was through, he made sure them faeries _knew it_.”

Luffa shook her head and closed her eyes.  "There’s more,“ she said, speaking more like her usual self.  "Mostly Asaparaj’s search for his home planet, and a battle with a sea serpent, but I think that’s the part you had in mind.”

“I see now,” Phenylal said.  "The Saiyans had no cause to remember the _details_ of Asparaj’s wrath, for they had not felt it.  I fear you are quite unaware of the curse which he placed upon us.“

"Curse?” Luffa asked.  

“'Twas o'er nine thousand years ago that he returned to our realm,” Phenylal said.  "As you said, he left our halls a faerie champion, and returned to us a Saiyan avenger.  It is said his eyes burned green with fury and his blood boiled so hot that his hair glowed like molten gold.“  

"No way…” Luffa said.  

“A colorful exaggeration, to be sure,” Phenylal admitted.  "My people are given to embellishment.“

"I don’t think so,” Luffa said.  "Asparaj… he became a Super Saiyan that day.“  When she saw the puzzled look on Phenylal’s face, she explained.  "It’s a transformation, like how my people turn into giant apes under a full moon.  Only… this is much rarer.  The last Super Saiyan I know of lived a thousand years ago.  And the only one to come along since then… is _me_.  I’d show you, but you’d never survive the demonstration.”

“Begging your pardon, ladies, but that makes no sense,” Topsas objected.  "Luffa hurt all of you without even trying.  How could faeries even go near a Saiyan home, let alone raise a Saiyan child in their midst?“

"Those events transpired before the curse, my good doctor,” Phenylal said.  "When Asparaj discovered the truth, he used his knowledge of Faerie sorcery and turned our trickery against us.  Cold iron is anathema to the faerie race.  We weaken in its presence, and we sicken and die from its touch.  Asparaj condemned us to suffer the same weakness to Saiyan power, and it has been ever thus.  Thus, would we never again meddle with his people, for to even dare such a thing would mean certain doom.“

"No worse than you deserve,” Luffa muttered.  "I mean, you used to cause all sorts of trouble to avenge petty little insults.  Was it all really over a few mushrooms?  Everyone else had to watch their step around you, so it’s only fair you get to have your own boogeyman.  I guess that’s why you ended up here.“

"The Faerie Tunnel is a pocket dimension, a wormhole separate from normal space,” Phenylal said.  "My ancestors believed that if we sought refuge in places like these, we would never be exposed to Saiyan _ki_ energy, even accidentally.  If only that had been true…“

"The only reason I even came here because of the Wistians,” Luffa said.  "How’d you get mixed up with them?“

"Long, long ago, my people were subjugated by the Wist Hegemony,” Phenylal explained.  "They possessed many wonders and technological advancements, including the power to open wormholes like this one.  The day finally came when their civilization declined and fell, and we were free of their influence.  But somehow they have returned, if only in name.  The one you call Argon has reasserted the same power over us that was once wielded by the ancient Wistians.  Our service to them has not been by choice.“

"I’m tempted to believe that,” Luffa said.  "You’ve been pretty nice to us so far, even before I turned the tables.  Look, I’m willing to call it even if you can send all the prisoners back to Extraliga.  Then you can show me the way to Wist, and I’ll take the fight to _them_ for a change.“

Phenylal lowered her head sadly.  "Would that this were possible.  You have all eaten our enchanted food.   Even you, dread Luffa, are trapped with us forever.  This was why Threeon begged my forgiveness.  In our ignorance, we have chained ourselves forevermore to our very bane.”

“Enchanted food!” Luffa growled.  She threw up her hands and started walking around the garden in circles.  "I broke through your illusions easily enough.  That apple crumb you guys were serving us was grasshopper crumb the whole time!  No wonder Doc liked it so much.“

"It is extremely hard to find good insect-based desserts,” Topsas observed.  

“I know, right?”  Luffa said.  "Everyone always overcooks the grasshoppers, or they just give up and serve them live.“  She rubbed the bridge of her nose and tried to concentrate.  "Look, can’t you just 'un-enchant’ the stuff?  I never understood why you guys were so determined to kidnap people in the first place.  I can’t believe _I’m_ the first person you ever wanted to throw back.”

“Argon forbids it,” Phenylal said.  "The Wistian totem his master wields gives him power over the F-Tunnel and all who are bound to it.“

"Now it all makes sense,” Luffa fumed.  "That was the whole point of luring me here.  He can’t kill me, but he can take me out of the war by keeping me stuck _here_.  Well, I’ve dealt with this hocus-pocus crap before, and something tells me I can force my way out if I put my back into it…“

"Luffa, you can’t be serious,” Topsas said.  "These people are prisoners as much as we are.“

"I’m the Federatrix, Doc,” Luffa said.  "All those Extraligans are Federation citizens under _my_ protection.  What kind of Saiyan would I be if I just gave up on them?  How can I let them be trapped here, when all I’d have to do is–“

She raised her hand and balled it into a fist, but nothing more.  She could kill Phenylal where she sat.  Easily.  Quickly.  Her subjects would die before they knew what hit them.  It would be clean and efficient and simple, and then she could move on to the next step, and the one after that.

It would be easier than breathing, and that was precisely what made her stomach turn.  

"No,” Luffa said, lowering her hand.  "I won’t take your lives, Your Majesty.  If it was a fair fight, then maybe, but you were already beaten by a Super Saiyan a long time ago.  He was too sloppy to finish you off, and _this_ Super Saiyan refuses to clean up after him.“

"But how will you escape?” Phenylal asked with genuine concern.  "Without your powers, you’ll be as helpless as the rest of us!“

"She has a point, little mammal,” Topsas said.  

“You two weren’t paying attention to the story,” Luffa said.  "My mother’d box your ears for that.  Asparaj must have been powerful to do what he did to you, but there’s more to Saiyans than power.  This curse of his was the act of a coward.  I’d rather spare you all and find a better way.  Even if it means being stuck here forever, I’ll find a better way, just because it proves _I’m_ a better Saiyan than _he_ ever was.“

Topsas was about to make some salient point, when suddenly they all heard clapping from the far side of the garden.  A man had entered from the west gate, dressed in the silver-armored uniform worn by the soldiers of Wist.  Over this, he wore a cloak made of tanned hides stitched together.    
"Well said, Lady Luffa,” he said with mock admiration.  "You really are a legend in your own time.“

"Argon!” Queen Phenylal said with a gasp.  

“So you finally bothered to show up,” Luffa said nonchalantly.  "I was beginning to think you’d forgotten about our little summit.“

"Oh, I’ve been here since before you arrived,” Argon said.  He walked past her and over to the fountain, where he began stroking Phenylal’s coiled hair.  The faerie was visibly disturbed by this, but made no attempt to resist.  "I’ve been in the forest.  Marvelous hunting ground.  Yes, I’ve simply been biding my time, waiting for the moment when you would peel back the final layer of the trap I’ve arranged for you.  You see, I’ve quite enjoyed my stay in the F-Tunnel.  It makes an ideal command post, and I’ve learned so much from the natives.  When I learned of their weakness to Saiyan power, I knew I could–“

"Yeah, yeah, I get the picture,” Luffa said.  "I’m stuck here unless I’m willing to murder a town full of innocent faeries.  Otherwise, I can’t use my powers.  Of course, I wouldn’t _need_ powers to break your arm, Argon.  Brute strength would do the job nicely, so maybe you ought to keep your hands to yourself while I’m around.“

"Oh, you don’t know the half of it,” Argon gloated.  "Kill the faeries if you like.  They’re nothing to me now.  A knife gone dull from use, not worth the time to sharpen.  But Wist controls the means to enter and leave the F-Tunnel, Lady Luffa.  Kill me, or any of my men, and I promise you’ll be trapped here for the rest of your lives.“

He withdrew from the queen and wandered over to a tree, where he began to idly peel off pieces of bark from the trunk.  "Ask yourself: How will you feed the Extraligans without the fae and their mystic food?”

“He is right,” Phenylal said sadly.  "There are animals in the forest, and some of the vegetation is edible, but not nearly enough to sustain all of you.  You would all surely starve.“

"Ninth eye,” Topsas muttered under his breath.

“I have to hand it to you, Argon,” Luffa said.  "You really played me like a fiddle.  I expected a trap, but you’ve outdone yourself.  Before, I wasn’t sure you really had anything to do with my husband, but now I see.  You’re just the kind of scum Kandai would crawl under to hide from me.“

"Naturally he would come to me, because I’ve succeeded!” Argon boasted.  "He sought refuge, and I’ve given it to him.  True, he doubted my ability, and I had to abdicate my lordship for the Shockmaster, but I’m quite satisfied with the results.“

"So you’ve got me,” Luffa said, “but that doesn’t settle the war, unless you really meant to negotiate with me.”

“You really _are_ his opposite, aren’t you?” Argon said as he studied the inside of a patch of bark he’d pulled off.  "Your husband, I mean.  When he came to me all he could talk about was himself, and his hapless quest to preserve his own misbegotten life.  If he cares for anything else beside his own skin, I have not seen it.  But you!  Well you practically stink of compassion, don’t you?  The queen, the Extraligans, the Federation–“ he pointed at Topsas and sneered in contempt– "that spidery monstrosity standing over there.  You actually worry about them _all_ , don’t you?  Are you a martyr, Lady Luffa? A would-be messiah for these rabble?   Or have you become so powerful that you seek grander responsibilities beyond your own person?”

He tossed the bark to the ground and put his hands behind his back.  "Oh, I _shall_ negotiate, Lady Luffa.  House Argon’s word is not _entirely_ worthless.  But I shall negotiate from a much stronger position now, I think, than you had expected when I invited you here.  The Federation will cede Extraliga to Wist, and in return, we will withdraw our fleet from Federation space.  We will return our prisoners once a proper treaty is ratified.  The process may take some years, though.“

"Nice,” Luffa snorted.  

She looked around, and all she saw were the others, looking back at her, hoping that she had some brilliant answer, some miraculous way out of this mess.   At last, she threw out her hands and shrugged.

“Well, at least I can count on grasshopper crumb for dessert for a while.  What else can I say, Argon?  I surrender.”

**NEXT: The Wager**


	41. Chapter 41

_**[11 May 236 Before Age.  The F-Tunnel]** _

“I tried to tell you this would happen, dummy.  Well, what now?”

From his desk, Zyd Rayleigh Argon glared at the woman laying on the sofa on the other side of his office.  She was his prisoner, and a pair of guards stood nearby in case she made any false moves, but this didn’t seem to concern her at all.  Indeed, Argon was beginning to feel like he was *her* prisoner.  

He had just finished speaking with the Federation Council via subspace relay.  This was to be the final stroke of his plan.  He had captured the Federatrix, the Super Saiyan Luffa, and he wanted the Council to see her, just to emphasize this point.  She was their mightiest warrior and head of state, and she had surrendered without a fight.  Faced with this, he had expected the Council to capitulate as well.  They would then give in to his demands, and cede the Extraliga system to the control of his homeworld of Wist.  

Instead, the Council had curtly informed him that Luffa’s status as Federatrix was in abeyance.  According to the Federation Charter, she was automatically relieved of all authority once she was captured, killed, or otherwise incapacitated.  For the duration of the war, the Federation would instead hand over emergency powers to the supreme military commander, Marshall Ryba Booth, who had rejected Argon’s terms completely.  The war would continue, and Argon’s prize captive had suddenly plummeted in value.  Angrily, he shut off the robot drone that had provided the two-way video link with the council, and he began to pace around the room, ignoring the drone’s requests for further orders.

“What did you _think_ would happen?” Luffa asked.  "Booth’s been scheming to get me out of the way since I founded the Federation.  He’s probably tickled pink right now.  _Of course_ he’d want to keep on fighting.  He has something to _prove_.   If he gives up now, he’ll look weak and ineffectual, and people will start to think _I_ was the only thing holding the Fed together.“  

She put one hand behind her head and waved the other while pointing, as if giving a lecture to the ceiling.  "But if he stands his ground and _fights_ , he’ll be a _hero_.  And if he _wins_ , he’ll be hailed as a savior.   _The man who triumphed where the Super Saiyan failed_.  In the meantime, I’m still stuck here.”  She glanced toward him and made an evil grin.  "And we _both_ know how _that’s_ going to pan out.“

He did.  His entire plan hinged on using Luffa’s sense of martial honor against her.  The Saiyans were a despicable and hypocritical race, dressing up their savagery with talk of "pride”.  Most of them were cowardly simpletons, but Luffa was the rare specimen who seemed to genuinely believe in what her culture supposedly stood for.  Perhaps it was because she was so powerful.  Unlike most Saiyans, she could _afford_ to take a principled stance.  Her awesome power was toxic to the faeries who lived in this city, and she loathed the idea of hurting so many innocents who couldn’t even fight back.  So she resolved to forsake that power until she could find another way out.  Advantage: Argon.

But he knew it wouldn’t last, and that was why he had pinned his hopes on an armistice.  Luffa’s restraint surely had its limits, and there was no way to know for certain how difficult it was for her to hold back all of that Super Saiyan power.  Sooner or later, she would forget herself, or decide that the lives of the fae weren’t worth the effort.  Or one of Argon’s troops would make a false move and Luffa would defend herself reflexively.  When that happened, the faerie folk would die almost immediately, and from that moment onward, Luffa would have nothing to lose.  She might feel guilty about it afterward, but she could avenge the fae by slaughtering Argon and his men.  

And so, what had begun as a clever trap had turned into a tense standoff.  Only Luffa didn’t seem to find it tense at all.  She came and went as she pleased, constantly reminding the Wistians of just how precarious their position was.  

“I had the dream again,” she said as she examined her fingernails.  "The whole city was on fire.  Everyone was already dead, and I just… _lost it_.  Crazy, huh?“  

Argon clenched his fist and tried to ignore the bead of sweat running down the side of his face.  What he couldn’t ignore was the way his guards shifted nervously where they stood.  

” _Whoosh!_ “ Luffa shouted, throwing her hands up.  The guards were visibly startled by the outburst, and she laughed.  "I transform a lot in my dreams.  Maybe that’s weird, but I’m the only one who can do it, so who knows, right?  What’s funny is I sort of know it’s a dream that way.  I can see and hear the aura, but it doesn’t _feel_ any different.  Anyway, I killed you in the dream, Argon.  Ripped off your arm and beat you to death with it.  Thought you might want to know.”

“Get her out of my sight,” Argon said grimly.  He needed to think.  There _had_ to be a way out of this dilemma, but he couldn’t seem to concentrate on it.  More than anything, he wished he were back in his old throneroom, making others solve these kinds of problems for him, while he busied himself with his hunting dogs, or his flaying knives, or one of his other depraved pastimes.  Yes, that was what he needed.  A relaxing afternoon in the forest with his horse.   _That_ would clear his mind… 

He paused and rubbed his chin thoughtfully.   Yes, a little holiday might just be the answer to everything.  

********

* * *

_**[12 May 236 Before Age.   Extraliga.]** _

“Twelve hour shifts?  What a load of crap.”

“Orders came down from General Logon himself.  He wants Station #11 fully repaired as soon as possible.”

There were six of them in the barracks shower room.  Wistian soldiers, all coming off duty.  Their black and silver uniforms were hanging on a rack in the corner while they massaged their feet and engaged in idle talk as they made use of the facilities.  

“What for?  Lord Argon captured the Super Saiyan himself!”

“Well, the General served in the rebellion against Argon before the Shockmaster united the planet.  You loyalist types might trust Argon, but the General sure as hell doesn’t.”

“I hear that.  I served in the guard at Goldwall fortress, but only so he wouldn’t pick one of my sisters for those sick parties of his.   Lousy inbred freak.  Of course, if he really _did_ knock off the Super Saiyan, more power to him.”

Invisible to them all, Zatte stood by the lockers and watched them carefully.  Her Dorlun powers allowed her to manipulate energy, such as light waves she warped around her body to prevent the soldiers from seeing her as she made her way through their base.  She had also disabled their weapons, though none of the six were close enough to the uniforms to notice.  She already had what she came for, but she had found eavesdropping to be surprisingly helpful to her mission, and so she stood and listened to their idle chatter, hoping that a more useful topic would come up.

Luffa’s capture was demoralizing, but not unexpected.  They had discussed her trip into the F-tunnel, the wormhole that led from Wist to Extraliga, and they both agreed it was a trap, but also the only available move left.  As long as the Wistians could resurrect their dead troops, there was nothing Luffa could do to drive them off Extraliga.  And so Zatte had proposed handling that angle herself.  While Luffa was in the F-Tunnel, Zatte would seek out whatever device the Wistians were using to ‘undelete’ their soldiers, and destroy it.  

It was uncharacteristic for a Dorlun to volunteer for such a dangerous mission, especially when no Dorlun interests were at stake.  The Dorlun ethic prized survival above all else, but Zatte had her reasons.  Morally, she sympathized with the Extraligans’ plight.  Politically, she felt the Federation was good for galactic peace and tranquility, and the Wist invasion had threatened this.  Tactically, she didn’t think the mission was as hazardous as it looked on paper, at least not for a woman with her expertise.  Romantically, she wanted to impress Luffa with a demonstration of her skill.  When she had proposed the plan to Luffa, there was a wild look in the Saiyan’s eye, a sort of mixture of excitement and admiration.  Zatte decided at once that she liked that look, and she wouldn’t mind at all if Luffa looked at her that way more often.  

She doubted that her fellow Dorluns would appreciate these reasons.  Keda certainly didn’t.  The child had been supporting Luffa behind the scenes for years, but only from the relative safety of her ship, and Luffa had been paying her for her services.  Keda found Zatte’s approach far too zealous for her liking, and Zatte had to admit that she had a fair point.  

But there was _more_ to Luffa than the Super Saiyan, or the Federatrix, or even the object of Zatte’s infatuation.   There was something deeper, something _sacred_.  Once Zatte had realized this, she knew that she had to help her any way she could, no matter the cost.  If her fellow Dorluns saw that as heretical, then so be it.  So far, though, the cost had been fairly low.  Spending a few minutes eavesdropping on soldiers while they bathed wasn’t so bad.  

“If Argon really has trapped the Super Saiyan,” one of the soldiers said, “he ought to finish her off while he has the chance.”

“Wait, I thought the Super Saiyan was male.”

“So did I.”

“Nah, she’s a lady.  My boyfriend’s assigned to the F-Tunnel.  Says he knows a guy who saw her.”

“My buddy at Station #11 was there when she tore it all to hell.   According to him, she looked like a cross between a rabid possum and one of those feral children you hear about.”

“Yeesh.  No wonder the Saiyan population’s so low.  Imagine waking up next to _that_.”

“Hoo-boy.  If that’s all I had to look forward to in the bedroom, I’d want to fight all the time, too.  I guess those monkeys must have figured something out.  Maybe they wear bags on their heads.”

“Not enough ale in the galaxy, I say.”

“I’d have a go, just to say I’ve done it.”  

They all laughed.  Zatte was beginning to find this conversation revolting.  Briefly, she considered turning visible and seeing just how well she could do against all six.  She’d go easy on one of them.  He had been fairly quiet up to now, and hadn’t said anything particularly offensive…  

“Well, if I were you, sarge, I’d make sure I was up to date on my shots first.  Maybe stock up on some flea medication.”

…Until just now.  Zatte set her jaw, but remained still.  It galled her to hear them talk about her lover like this.   _The price of getting involved with a celebrity_ , she supposed.  Fighting might make her feel better, but she was practical enough to put her mission first.  She bided her time, waited until they were all looking the other way, and then she slipped out the door.

By now she had enough passkeys and dongles to proceed with the next step of her plan.  She would need a vehicle to get to Station #36, but stealing one from the motor-pool would be fairly simple.  All she needed was a diversion.  Something big enough to get the whole base’s attention, but without putting them on high alert.

For example, the plasma rifles sitting on the bench in the shower room.  Her powers could be used to cause a catastrophic overload.  It would look like an accident.  A simple weapons malfunction that would destroy a large chunk of the building.  She didn’t even have to be in the room to make it happen.  She could just stand by the wall and manipulate the power cells from outside.  

“ _Flea medication_ …” she muttered as she stormed down the hall.  Five minutes later, the corridor erupted into flame.

*******

_**[13 May 236 Before Age.  The F-Tunnel]** _

There was a megalith structure on the western end of the faerie city of Nehh-r-cooh.  The fae folk considered its massive, moss-covered stones to be sacred.  Upon seizing control of the city and its people, Zyd Rayleigh Argon promptly converted the entire site into a stable for his favorite horse, Obsidian.  He kept three of his hunting dogs in another structure nearby, but now he had them tied up by a post as he made his final preparations to enter the woods.

“I expect to be gone for some time,” he said to one of the soldiers standing nearby.  "Colonel Spengleregon will be oversee the city during my absence.“

"Sir, is it wise for you to leave the city at a time like this?” the soldier asked.  

Argon winced at the question.  Once he commanded these people through sheer terror.  They may have hated him, thought him incompetent and mad, but they _feared_ him, and so they paid him the proper respect nonetheless.  Now, they feared only the Super Saiyan, to the point where they openly wondered how much longer Argon could contain her.   It would not do.  It would not do at all, and once his plan was complete, he would make an example of this insolent man.  His flayed corpse would be mounted on a pike in the city square, a reminder to his comrades and the prisoners they watched over that he was in complete control.  

As he considered this, he stared at the soldier for a bit longer than he meant to.  "Er, I meant no disrespect, sir!“ the soldier stammered.  "It’s just that… well, with the Saiyan here–”

“That will not be a problem for much longer,” Argon said.  He finished tacking up the horse, then donned his cloak of humanoid skin.  "Ah, here she comes now.“

"There you are,” Luffa called as she entered the stable.  She seemed to approach Argon, but instead walked directly past him to find Queen Phenylal, who had been standing there, surrounded by a trio of armed guards.  They each tightened their grip on their rifles, but Luffa waved her hands at them, gesturing for them to stand aside.  

“Doc said he was running low on queensfoil, and all your subjects tell me you’re the only one who can find it out in the woods,” she said, seemingly indifferent to Argon and his men.  "Huh.  Queensfoil.  I guess that explains the name.  Anyway, if you’re going to head out and look for some, I thought I’d tag along, if you don’t mind.  Maybe we could swap stories.  Figure you faeries know some good yarns.“

"For your information, Lady Luffa, that doctor of yours will have to make due with his remaining stock,” Argon said.  "Her majesty _will_ be making a trek through the forest, but I shall accompany her, not you.  And I dare say she _won’t_ be returning.“

Luffa glared at him and then looked back to Phenylal.  "What the hell’s going on here?” she demanded.  Phenylal gave no answer, and simply lowered her head.  

Argon smiled.  "Prosecuting the war has been quite stressful for me, Lady Luffa,“ he said.  "And as you noted the other day, it will not be ending as quickly as I’d planned.  So I’ve decided to indulge one of my favorite pastimes.”   He picked up a crossbow from a storage chest and examined it, then began to load a satchel with shiny metal quarrels.  

“What’s that?” Luffa asked defiantly.  

Argon looked up from his work and raised his eyebrows.   “Oh these?  I purchased them some time ago.”  He held up one of the bolts and gestured to it with his free hand.  "They’re plated with rhodium.  More precious than silver and substantially more resistant to tarnishing.  I doubt I can continue to afford new ones now that I’m no longer Lord of Goldwall, so I plan to save these for special occasions.  I’d say this qualifies.  It’s not often one gets to hunt a queen.“

Luffa took in the words, then looked at the horse, then the three dogs, who had been staring at her silently since she entered.  "What kind of a contest is that?” she asked.  "Phenylal’s not strong enough to–  No.  How silly of me.  Of course _you’d_ want a total mismatch.   _You’re_ a coward and a fool.“

"I _shall_ be giving her a twenty minute head start, if it makes you feel any better,” Argon said.  He reached into the storage chest and withdrew a small black case.  "Oh, I mustn’t forget these,“ he said as he opened the case to inspect its contents.  Inside were a set of knives, which he tilted just to give Luffa a better view.

"For afterward,” he explained with a lascivious grin.

“You actually think I’ll let you go through with this?” Luffa said, her face twisting with rage.  

“My men will make certain you don’t interfere,” Argon said, gesturing to the troops standing behind her.  "Of course, you could overpower them easily, but not without killing the queen and every last one of her people.  Better, I think, to sacrifice one to save the rest.“

Luffa balled her fists.  "You’re under orders not to harm any of the prisoners.  I’m the senior P.O.W. here, and I–”

“Are you really?” Argon asked with a chuckle.  "My understanding was that you no longer held any official authority.  And even if you did, what matter?  The faeries are not prisoners, they are vassals of the Wist Hegemony.  I may do with them as I see fit.“   He finished assembling his gear and closed the trunk.  "Right now, I see fit to hunt their queen like an animal, then amuse myself a while before bringing her corpse back to put on display.  You should be pleased.  The faeries were once enemies of the Saiyans, yes?   That ancestor of yours, Asparaj, he would have called this poetic justice, I think.”

“Let her go,” Luffa said.  

“Why should I?” Argon asked.  He kept his composure, but his heart was racing.  This was the moment of truth.  If he had miscalculated in any way…

“Because if you spare her, _I’ll_ go in her place,” Luffa offered.  

“Oh?” He feigned disinterest, but inside he was exhilarated.  The foolish little monster had done just as he’d hoped.  

“Luffa, don’t…” Phenylal pleaded, but the Saiyan turned and raised her hand to call for her silence.  

“Normally, I could kill a weakling like you in an instant, Argon,” Luffa said.  "I’ve got plenty of reason to.  You’re harboring my bastard husband on your home planet, holding Federation citizens, and now this.  I’d love nothing better than to tear you apart, but I can’t, because of what it would do to her people.“

"Your point?” Argon asked.  

“We both know this standoff between us won’t last.  Sooner or later one of us is going to crack, and I’m not big on long waits.  This little 'pastime’ of yours _disgusts_ me, but I gotta admit it looks like a good way to settle things between us.  You with your animals and weapons, and me without my powers… That _almost_ makes it a fair fight.”

“It would at that,” Argon said, “except that at the moment I catch you, you would simply summon your powers to defend your own life, is that not so?”

“I’ll make you a wager,” Luffa suggested.  "If you can’t catch me, you’ll release the prisoners.  But if you _do_ manage to bring me down, I’ll let you kill me.  High stakes, but that’s basically what we’re playing for here anyway, right?“

"You’d _let_ me kill you,” Argon said, as though trying the idea on for size.  "You must know that will take _hours_ , Lady Luffa.  No, _days_ , I expect.  You are a hardy one, after all.“

She snorted.  "If I can’t stay one step ahead of the likes of you, Argon, I deserve whatever you do to me.  It’s worth the risk.”

“Spoken like an idealistic martyr,” Argon quipped.

“Or a Saiyan,” Luffa said with a grin.  "Anything beats sitting around this place like an old woman.  At least this way, the worst case scenario is I die with my boots on.“

"On the contrary,” Argon said.  "I always have my quarry go out in the nude.  It’s more… _primal_ that way, you understand.“

Luffa rolled her eyes and sighed.  "You creeps always act like you’re being so original with this kind of thing,” she grumbled.  " _Fine_.  Do we have a deal or not?“

Argon gestured to the soldiers beside Phenylal.  "Escort the queen back to her garden.  I seem to have found better sport, and so Her Majesty will have to wait her turn.”  

As they took the queen away, Luffa sat on the ground and pulled off her boots.  Argon forced himself to look away.  He would be seeing her again soon enough, and he still had to finish his preparations.  

“You did say a twenty minute head start, right?” Luffa asked.  

“Correct,” Argon replied.  He would have gloated more with his response, but he was too busy congratulating himself.   _This was perfect_ , he thought.  He wouldn’t just defeat the Super Saiyan, he would kill her with his own hands!  Then the soldiers would respect him, and so would the Shockmaster, and the Federation Council!  He thought of how he would look wearing Luffa’s pelt on his back.  Perhaps he should name one of the next litter of dogs after her.  A fitting memento, to be sure.  

“It’s your call,” Luffa said.  "But if I were you, I’d make it five.  See you in the woods.“

He looked up, about to tell her that he would decide when to begin, but she was gone.   All that remained was a pile of her discarded clothes.  He went to the gate that led out into the open, just in time to catch a glimpse of her in the distance, disappearing into the trees.  

**NEXT: Deadly Game.**


	42. Chapter 42

_**[14 May 236 Before Age.  Extraliga]** _

To the Wistian soldiers on duty, Zatte must have seemed like a phantom, coming out of nowhere, her blue skin and gleaming green eyes making her look like something from one of their horror stories.  This was ironic, seeing as the soldiers had used similar shock tactics when they used an interdimensional passageway to invade Extraliga.  They of all people should have been prepared for a similar trick.  

The difference was that Zatte wasn’t relying on a wormhole to move from place to place.  She simply turned herself invisible and used whatever means of transportation was at hand.  The Dorlun woman had the power to manipulate energy, and she had found this especially useful for sabotage.  She could bend light and other radiation around her body to avoid detection, and she could disrupt or redirect the flow of electrical currents.   She imagined that she might be able to control an electronic device, but only after familiarizing herself with its circuitry.  Thus far, she had found it much simpler to destroy or deactivate such devices whenever they got in her way.  

Besides the element of surprise, the Wistian Occupation Army had one other handy trick up their sleeve: a device known as the “Undeletor”, which appeared to resurrect their casualties, making the army virtually invincible.  Zatte had come to disable it.  Her lover, the Super Saiyan Luffa, had proven more than a match for the soldiers of Wist, but since they wouldn’t stay dead, there was no practical purpose to fighting them.  Zatte had proposed a less direct approach, and while Luffa pursued the army’s commander inside the wormhole, the Dorlun had begun a search for the Undeletor, using stealth and espionage where brute strength had failed.  Naturally, such a valuable device was carefully hidden and well protected, but Zatte still had the advantage.   No one knew the Super Saiyan had brought along an ally, and so no one knew what the ally would do or how she would do it.  Until this very moment, none of the soldiers guarding the Undeletor had any idea that it was in danger.  

She kicked one of them in the chest and sent him toppling to the floor.  Before her heel returned to the floor, she had drawn her pistol and taken aim.  Her targets tried to pull their own weapons, only to find that they didn’t work.  She had disabled them moments before revealing herself.  Zatte shot the closest one first, then the other, and then she spun around and winged a third who had been attempting to come at her from behind.  

There was no point in killing them, of course, since the very device they guarded would restore them in a short while.  Zatte had been gathering information about its function during her search.  The Wistians themselves seemed to know little about it, other than the fact that it was a very ancient object, shaped like an obelisk, and that it could ‘store’ a life form’s mind and body within itself.  The obelisk could then project that person like a film projector displaying an image on a screen.  One simply needed to choose a location.  Zatte wasn’t sure, but she suspected that this was how the Wistian army got the drop on Extraliga.  A small group could have brought the obelisk through the F-Tunnel wormhole, set it up in a secret location, then programmed it to project each soldier within striking distance of a military target.  Once the invasion was complete, the obelisk could then be relocated to a more secure position in one of the Extraligan military bases.  

That was the key to defeating the invasion, Zatte thought as she stooped behind a railing.  The Undeletor could only recreate people and objects stored in its “memory”.  This included troops, uniforms, and weapons, but not the materiel they had seized from Extraliga.  So the best way to fight them was to attack their infrastructure, as it was the one resource they couldn’t replace.  And that was why she had planted bombs in various key locations throughout the facility.  

A few seconds later, explosions sounded all around her.  Most of these were simply intended as a diversion, except for the ones that collapsed most of the catwalk that lined the walls of the large room where the Undeletor was stored.  This left her section undamaged, but completely isolated and inaccessible.  Below, soldiers scrambled around.  Some of them tried to call for help, while others attempted to assess the damage, but most of them started shooting in her direction.  Zatte aimed her plasma rifle over the railing and picked a few of them off.  They were essentially immortal, and yet they still fought as though they only had one life to lose, so they still ran for cover like anyone else would have.  It would take time for them to revive, and they knew Zatte would use that time to carry out her plan.  Fortunately, her plan didn’t really depend on them being alive or dead when she executed it.  She just needed to keep them away long enough to operate the computers that controlled the Undeletor, which hummed and glowed a dull orange from its place in the center of the room.  

Keeping her head down, she turned her attention to the terminal on the wall.  The Wistians below didn’t have a clear shot from this angle, but they were getting close enough to make her nervous.  The ones on the catwalk were her main concern now.  She had to keep one eye on them in case they revived, and unfortunately she only had one good eye to spare.  She was reasonably certain this facility scanned all the soldiers and replaced the dead ones on a routine basis, but she didn’t know the frequency of the scans.  Up to now, she had been able to avoid them altogether.  She had spent the last two hours accessing various terminals all over the base, using dongles and codes she had gleaned from ranking officers across the planet.  But this final step required more direct action at a station that was constantly being manned.  There was no way to do this without being noticed, and so she didn’t bother.  

“Recall all personnel…” she muttered to herself as she entered the final instructions.  "And that’s General Epigon’s authorization… bypass the evacuation alerts… Come on, come on!“

Suddenly all four of the troops she had killed vanished and reappeared, on their feet and ready to fight.  Their weapons wouldn’t work, Zatte had made sure of that, but she could only shoot one at a time, and she had to stay close to the terminal to keep them from interfering.  She managed to hit one, but the second managed to grab her and wrestle the pistol from her hand.  She managed to hit him hard enough that he stumbled over the railing and fell off, but this gave the last two time to act.  

"Hold her!”

“I can’t!”

Zatte was stronger than she looked, but she wasn’t sure how long she could keep them away from the terminal without damaging it.   She opted to stall, resisting only enough to keep the soldiers focused on her.  As she struggled, she threw back her head, breaking one of their noses on her skull. Just a little longer, she told herself.  

There was a flash as one of them drew a combat knife from his belt and raised it high over his head.  Zatte managed to twist her body, but not enough to avoid the strike.  The sleeve of her jacket may have offered some protection, but she could still feel the blade tear through the flesh on her arm.  And the other man still wouldn’t let go.  She was running out of options, and the damned computer still wasn’t done yet.  

The one with the knife brought it up once again.  Zatte wasn’t sure how long she could keep this up in such close quarters.  She had stronger armor over her chest, but that was to repel energy fire.  Would it stop a knife thrust?  Would it stop three or four?  What if he went for her neck?  She had to buy more time!  The computer had to finish soon.  Just a little longer…!

*******

* * *

_**[14 May 236 Before Age.  The F-Tunnel.]** _

There was daylight in the F-Tunnel, but no sun.  The sky in this interdimensional realm was fixed in a constant twilight.   Zyd Rayleigh Argon could only guess that he had been in the forest for at least a full day.  He had no watch, or any other technological device, as was his custom on his hunting trips.  He preferred to 'rough it’: just himself, his horse, and three large dogs.  His only weapons were a crossbow and a set of knives.  In the past, it had been more than enough.  Now, he cursed himself for not bringing along a contingent of soldiers.  

He had trapped Luffa so expertly.  The faeries who lived in the F-Tunnel were sensitive to the _ki_ energy that fueled her Super Saiyan powers, and so Luffa had forsaken her strength out of some naive sense of honor.  But this was only a temporary measure.  Saiyans were volatile creatures, and a single instant of unchecked panic or rage from Luffa would kill the hostage faeries and neutralize Argon’s sole advantage over her.  He then deftly maneuvered Luffa into participating in one of his hunts.  She would have to survive the forest and elude him, or else allow him to kill her.  If she escaped him, then he would be obligated to free all of the prisoners he had detained in this wormhole.  The stakes were high, but it was the only way to end the deadlock.  And it was the perfect bait for a Saiyan.   Luffa thrived on such challenges, and without her powers, even she would be hard pressed to outfox an experienced huntsman with mount and hound.  He planned to humiliate her, then destroy her, just as he had done to so many women on his home planet.  

But that was a day ago.  Now, he was hungry and exhausted, and only one of his hounds remained at his side.  The first, Matcha, had been lured away somehow, and he had found her remains hours later, skinned and stripped of most of its flesh.  He had lost the second, Gorgon, while riding along an escarpment overlooking a stream.  A dark blur had leaped from the bushes and tackled Gorgon with such force that both of them tumbled over the edge and down into the stream, at least a hundred feet down.   His third hound, Zystine, had been deeply troubled by the loss of her sisters.  She was once the most eager of the litter, but now she walked alongside his horse, keeping as close a formation as possible.  

Argon was tired, but he did not dare dismount to rest, nor could he risk returning to the city, as that would concede the wager to his quarry.  And while House Argon held oath-breaking to be one of its oldest and most honored traditions, he doubted that he could afford to renege on this agreement.  The whole point had been to settle things with Luffa once and for all, and to restore the respect and confidence of his men.  If he could not kill or release Luffa, then the only choice was to continue holding her, where she would go on mocking him as she had done before.  He could almost hear that vile woman laughing about his failure to capture him.  

Then the hound began to whimper, and he realized that he really _could_ hear Luffa’s voice echoing in the distance.  She was out there, somewhere, shouting at the top of her lungs.  He couldn’t make out the words, but it sounded like she was ranting to no one.  Was she insane?  Did she even care if he found her?  

He tightened his grip on the reins, but froze for a moment, as though unable to remember which way he wanted to go.  His instincts told him–begged him–to ride away from the screams.  But his arrogant hatred pushed him forward.  This was his hunt, and she was the prey.  She would fall like all the others.  She had to.  

He repeated this to himself as he drove the horse forward.  Zystine followed, but reluctantly.  

*******

Just beneath her skin was a monstrous thing with a golden glow.  She _was_ the thing and she _became_ the thing, and the thing always yearned to be let loose upon the world.  But her greatest opponent had always been _herself_ , and so she welcomed the struggle, forcing the thing to yield when it suited her, and bargaining with it to come forth when summoned.  

Now, as Luffa leaped from one branch to the next, the thing inside her screamed for release.  Luffa smirked and told it to go to hell.  

Argon was a _fool_.  Her distant ancestors had practically _lived_ in woods like these.  Did he think her tail was just for show?  Did he think she needed some epic golden transformation to survive against a single man on horseback?  She dangled upside down from a tree branch and crossed her arms and legs, feverishly contemplating her next move.

She had bitten into Gorgon’s neck as they fell, and the dog was dead before they even reached the stream.  The animal’s flesh had filled her belly, and its  blood still stained her face and neck, though it was difficult to make out for all the mud slathered over her body.   Over this, she wore the skin of Matcha.  There wasn’t time to make a proper hide.  She simply skinned the dog as best she could without tools, and covered herself in it.  It was already starting to smell bad, but she didn’t let it bother her.  At least Gorgon had been a little tastier than her sister.

Her muscles ached from the exertion.  She had slept comfortably in the treetops, but not well.  She hadn’t felt this weak since she was a small child.  And _that thing_ thundered just beneath her skin, clamoring for release. _Let it loose for a single moment_ , it pleaded, _and it would snuff out this Argon like the gnat he was._

“No,” she snarled.  "I won’t do anything so cowardly, Asparaj!“

Sometimes she imagined the old Super Saiyan’s ghost haunting her, telling her that she needed to use her full strength, no matter the consequences.  She laughed and screamed obscenities at him.  She called him a weakling and a disgrace, she questioned the legitimacy of his parentage, and snarled a number of unprintable epithets that would curdle the blood of any living Saiyan.  

"I’m stronger than you!” she screeched.  "Stronger than _all of you_.  You hear me?!“

A flock of…. something–they were like birds and insects combined somehow–they squawked and flew from the nearby trees, startled by her outbursts.  

"I don’t _have_ to use my power because I’m _stronger than you_ , Asparaj!  Stronger than Old Darbock!  Stronger than Chanisp!  And the rest of you!” she howled.  "You hear me, boys?!   _You hear me?!_ “  She pounded her chest with her fist and scowled at the sky above.  "You think _you’re_ legends?!  Why should anyone have been afraid of _you_?  What did any of you know about _rage_?!  _None of you_ ever lost a son like I did!  You _don’t_ know _what_ a Super Saiyan _is!_   But you’ll find out.  Just sit back and watch me from _hell_.  I’ll show you how it’s done.”

She sniffed at the air and grinned.  Argon was headed this way.  

“I’m better than _all of you_ ,” she muttered as she leaped for a nearby trunk.  "And a thousand years from now?  That sorry son of a bitch who has to follow in _my_ footsteps?  He’d better _watch his ass_ , because I’m better than he’ll _ever_ be…“

********

* * *

"You see, Asaparaj?  He can’t touch me!  He doesn’t _deserve_ my full strength!”

Argon had been firing wildly.  He could hear Luffa, taunting him from above, and every so often he spotted a shadowy blur moving through the branches, but he couldn’t score a hit.  He saw one of his rhodium-plated crossbow bolts uselessly embedded in a tree trunk and cursed his weapon.  Every time he paused to reload, he had to let go of the reins, and his horse began to quail in terror.  His hound was useless to him, and she whimpered and barked and circled around the horse.  Perhaps it was an futile effort to protect him, but it was more likely a plea to withdraw.  Neither animal understood.  There could be no withdrawal.  If Argon couldn’t catch Luffa, it was very doubtful that escape would be an option.  

“Finally figured it out, Argon?” Luffa called out to him.  "I’ve been hunting _you_ this whole time.“  

"Damn you!” he grumbled.  He circled around to find her, and then he noticed the tree he had been looking at a minute ago.  The bolt that he had fired into it was gone.  Only the hole in the trunk remained.  

“I was bringing down large animals since I was six years old!” she said.  "I was a runt back then, but the trick to it is to wear 'em out.  Make them think _they’re_ the hunter, and then stay one step ahead until they falter.  How many of these toothpicks have you got left to shoot at me, Argon?“

"Enough to finish you!” he cried, but it was false bravado.  He would have fired another shot, but it would have been a waste, and besides, he needed both hands to steady the horse.  

“Your trouble is you think in two dimensions, Argon,” Luffa said.  "I had you pegged from the start.  You don’t hunt women for the sport of a worthy adversary, you do it to get your rocks off.  I get it.  I like women too, and Queen Phenylal’s pretty easy on the eyes.  She might look pretty cute wandering around out here butt naked.  But you’re not out here on a _date_ , stupid.  You’re _fighting for your life_ , and _I_ can climb a tree.  I can’t use my powers, but I don’t _need_ them to survive a hundred foot drop.  What good is a dog gonna do against that?   What’s the range on that crossbow?  Fifty yards maybe, but can you actually hit anything that far away?  Firing straight up?“

Argon couldn’t think of anything to say, so he simply screamed.  How dare she toy with him!  He would see her die slowly and painfully if it was the last thing he ever did!  

"The stupid thing is you had a real advantage back in the city.  You couldn’t kill me there either, but at least you had more protection.  You had armed guards and hostages to hide behind.  Out _here_ , all you’ve got are some dogs and a horse, and I can just pick those off one by one.  Hear that, pooch?   You’ve only lasted this long because I wasn’t hungry.   _But I am now_.”

Just as Argon realized the meaning behind her words, she dropped from the forest canopy and landed directly on top of Zystine.  The dog was large and strong, but completely helpless against such blunt force.  There was a yelp, and the sickening crunch of bones beneath flesh, and then Luffa backflipped off of the dog’s motionless body and landed in a defensive crouch.  

This was the first and only time he had seen Luffa standing still since the hunt began.  She looked hideous.  The skin of one of his dogs was wrapped around her like a crude shroud.  She was covered head to toe in muck that might have come from the stream that meandered through the forest.  Was this why the dogs had so much trouble picking up her scent?   Or was it merely camouflage? 

No.  As the wind shifted, Argon realized just how _awful_ Luffa smelled, and that the dogs never could have missed that grotesque odor.   They had been avoiding it out of sheer revulsion.   To their primitive canine minds, it must have seemed as if their master had tasked them with hunting a walking carcass, or death itself.  

Whatever the purpose of her attire, it only highlighted her teeth and the whites of her eyes as she glared menacingly at him.   In that moment, he realized it was his best chance to take aim and hit her.  

But the horse wouldn’t let him.  

“ _Obsidian_!” Argon yelled as the horse reared up on her hind legs.  He quickly holstered the weapon and grabbed the reins with both hands, struggling to steady the animal.  But he never took his eyes of Luffa, terrified of what she might do if he looked away for even an instant.  Then he noticed another white object to match her teeth and eyes.  

It was the quarrel she had pulled out the tree.  

With an inhuman growl, she ran headlong toward the horse, avoiding the front hooves and slipping around to the rear.  Argon couldn’t see what happened next, and for an awful moment he could only struggle to stay in his saddle as his mount bucked and jerked around.   There was a pained whinny, and then it felt as though Obsidian had hit something, and in the next moment, she stumbled and collapsed.  

*******

* * *

Only pure equestrian skill had saved Argon from being hurt or trapped when his horse fell.  He had managed to slip out of the saddle just in time to prevent his right leg from being trapped under Obsidian’s body, and he was able to tumble off as she hit the ground.  At first, he wondered if she had suffered a heart attack.  

When he recovered from the fall, his first instinct was to locate his prey.  She was lying on the ground a few feet away.  Unconscious?  It was too good to be true, but he needed a weapon before investigating further.  He spotted his crossbow lying nearby, but one of the limbs had been broken, rendering it useless.  His flaying knives were still on the the saddle, and fortunately they were on the right side, where he could reach them.  As he recovered the case, he noticed the shiny metal quarrel sticking out of Obsidian’s back left leg, just above the fetlock joint.  Argon’s best guess was that the horse had mule-kicked Luffa in the face with her right leg just as the Saiyan attacked her left.  It was a costly defense.  Luffa had been stunned, but the horse would never walk again.  

The only decent thing to do was to use one of his longer knives to put Obsidian out of her misery.  But he loathed that idea.  His knives were precious to him, and strictly reserved for the sublime purpose of flaying his victims, not for slaughtering livestock like a peasant.  And there were more pressing matters to attend to.  

“You’ve… given me a merry chase, Lady Luffa,” he gasped as he knelt down over the woman and tried to ignore the stench.  "I may have to name… an _entire litter_ of pups after… after you.“  He laid the case of knives beside her and opened it, eventually choosing a four-inch stainless steel blade to begin.   "But it’s over now, and you’ve cost me… a fine horse and an even finer crossbow, to say nothing of… the dogs.  For that I will make your suffering… _exsquisite_.”  

He reached for the dog pelt to remove it from her body, but then something snatched his wrist with the speed of a striking cobra.  It was her hand.  

“You really _are_ a sucker, aren’t you?” Luffa said, her eyes now wide open.  

Acting on reflex, Argon swung his knife at her, but she yanked his other arm and flung him over, leaving him flat on his back.  He scrambled to his feet and tried to use the knife again, but she was already back on her feet, and holding the case in her hands.  She used it to block his attack, then kicked him in the abdomen.   When he dropped to the ground, she tossed the case aside and chuckled as she paced around him.  

“Oh, I’ve been looking forward to _this_ ,” Luffa said.  Slowly, she lowered herself to the ground, where she mounted him.  

“W-wait!” Argon cried.  "I’ll… Your husband!  I can help you find him!“

"You already did, remember?” Luffa asked.  "You bragged about letting him stay on your home planet, back when you _thought_ you were going to win.  I don’t _need_ exact coordinates.  I’ve been hunting him for years.  I’ll just head to Planet Wist and enjoy the scenery for a while until he turns up.“

"N… no!” Argon squeaked.  Suddenly she threw a punch at his head, and he meekly raised his arms to protect himself.  

She leaned over him and raised her elbow, then brought the point of it straight down driving it into his head, just above his hairline.  She did it again.  And again.   Before long, Argon’s hair was soaked with his own blood, and the forest floor beneath him was stained red.  Luffa continued, in spite of the fatigue.

“That was the other reason I wanted to settle things out there in the woods, Argon,” she said between deep breaths.  "I didn’t want your soldiers getting in my way, but I also didn’t want the prisoners trying to call me off.  They’re good people, but they’re soft.  They don’t have the stomach for what _you_ deserve.  Maybe Asparaj would show mercy, put a curse on you or something.  Chanisp might have screwed up and given you a chance to escape.  But you wanted _Luffa_ , didn’t you?  Yeah.  You wanted the _Super Saiyan_ , huh?   Guess what, _you got her._ “

She drove her elbow into his head again.  Then she switched to simple punches.  He had lost consciousness some time ago.  His skull was fractured, and he had suffered irreparable brain damage.  But she could sense the life force in his broken body.  It was fading fast, but not quite gone.  She intended to go on hitting him until it vanished completely.  

"Maybe there’s a place for soft in this universe.  But not for you.  Not for Kandai.  Not for _anyone else_ who tries to hide him from me.”

Eventually, she stood up and backed away from his ruined corpse.  She went to the horse and slit its throat with one of the knives, then checked the dog to confirm it was already dead.  There was no time for a fire.  The soldiers back in the city still had to be dealt with.  Planet Wist needed to be dealt with.   _Kandai would be dealt with_.  But she had to eat first.  One thing at a time.  

She knelt down over the dog’s body and began carving it open with the knife.  As she scooped hunks of flesh from the carcass and stuffed them into her mouth, she felt strangely tranquil.  She didn’t know if she was angry or happy, and she was beyond caring.  

Beneath her skin, the golden glowing thing still raged inside of her, clamoring for release. But it seemed much more respectful than before, as though it now understood what might happen if it pushed her too far.

**NEXT:  Fear the Reaper**


	43. Chapter 43

_**[16 May 236 Before Age.  Extraliga]** _

“Long story short,” Luffa said, “We kicked their asses.”

From the bridge of Luffa’s star yacht, Keda sat in the captain’s chair and watched the viewscreen intently as the Saiyan filled her in on what had been going on these past few days.  They had contacted her from the “F-Tunnel”, the wormhole dimension Planet Wist had used to deploy its invasion forces.  Keda wasn’t sure how she was getting such good reception from another dimension, but this was the least of her worries at the moment.

“Look, I haven’t heard from either of you in almost a week, okay?” Keda said, trying to keep an even tone.  "The last I knew Luffa was heading into a trap and Zatte was rushing into enemy camps all by herself.  Now you’re in some kind of hotel room together wearing silk togas, and it sounds like… Is that a party outside?  I think I need a few gaps filled in, if that’s okay.“

Luffa was too busy gnawing on what looked like an enormous hambone, so Zatte answered instead.  "Keda, I’m fine,” she said.   “The mission was a cakewalk, honestly.”

“Then what’s with that bandage on your arm?” Keda asked skeptically.

Zatte glanced down at the wound as though she had forgotten it, and smiled nervously.  "One of the Wist soldiers came at me with a knife,“ she explained.

"A _knife_?!  Are you okay?!” Keda gasped.

“Of course she is, kid!” Luffa growled.  "That chump _had_ to use a knife because Zatte shut off the power to their firearms.  Yeah, he got in a decent hit, but he had to get in close to do it, and in the time it took to do that–!“

"The program I uploaded into the Undeletor finally kicked in,” Zatte finished.  "Like we figured, the Wistian soldiers were just projected copies of real people.  The Undeletor machine could recreate them as they were killed, but once I sabotaged it, the projections all shut down.“

"Hell of a scrap,” Luffa said with her mouth full.  "One minute she was surrounded by guards, and then poof!  They all vanished.  Good thing, too.  Another second, that guy with the knife would have gutted you like a–“

"Anyway… I came to the F-Tunnel after securing the Undeletor,” Zatte broke in.  "And Dr. Topsas has already taken care of my wound.  It’ll be fine.  I promise.“

"Well, okay,” Keda said.  "What about the prisoners, then?“

"They’re all accounted for,” Luffa said.  "Argon was using faeries to keep them magically trapped in this place.“  She was holding her food in one hand and Zatte in the other.  For a moment she had to decide which one to let go, then she finally laid down the shank and picked up a small round stone, which she held up for Keda to see.

"Take a look at this,” Luffa said.

“What is it?” Keda asked.

“I don’t know exactly, but the Wistians used it to make the faeries do what they want.  As long as Argon had it, none of us were getting out of here.  But I’ve got it now, and I’m having the faeries undo all their spells so we can leave.”

Keda knew Luffa well enough not to bother asking how she took such an important talisman from an enemy.  She assumed the struggle was violent and bloody, and the less said, the better.

“Okay… so where do we go from here?” Keda asked.  "It sounds pretty festive for a prison camp.“

"The faerie folk couldn’t just cancel the spells that keep us here,” Luffa explained.  "Something about the balance of magic, kind of like how you have to cool down after a workout, instead of just stopping altogether.  They fed us enchanted food to trap us, so now they have to do the same thing to let us go.  And things have been pretty tense around here for the last few days, so a festival seemed like a good idea.“

Zatte picked up a goblet and drank from it.  "I wanted to leave early, so Luffa took me back here,” she said. “Apparently this used to be Argon’s private barracks.”

“Tomorrow morning, I’m sending Zatte and Doc back to Extraliga with the first group of prisoners,” Luffa said.  "Keda, you’re in charge of seeing that Doc gets back home safely.  That should keep you busy until I’m done.“

"Sure, Luffa,” Keda said.  "What about you?“

"I’ll be leaving the F-Tunnel from the other side,” she said with a vicious look in her eye.   “It’s past time I took the fight to Planet Wist.  Zatte’ll fill you in on the details later.”

Zatte nodded and waved happily, and after a few words of farewell, Keda closed the transmission.  She sent orders to the service robot, PB-2, to tidy up the guest quarters Zatte and Topsas had been using while on board, then started a diagnostic check of ship’s major systems.    After that, she stared at the blank viewscreen and steepled her hands.

She was happy for Luffa and Zatte, she really was.  They had suffered through so much, and it made all the sense in the world that they should find some solace in one another.  They were uneasy with public displays of affection, and they tried to play it cool in front of others, but somehow that just made it more obvious how much they enjoyed each other’s company.

But Keda couldn’t ignore how much Zatte had changed.  She had survived this time, but what about the next?  And there _would be_ a next time, another opportunity to risk life and limb on Luffa’s behalf, another chance to throw caution to the wind.  And for what?

Something had to be done.  She supposed it would have to wait until Zatte was back aboard the ship.  They could talk this out Dorlun-to-Dorlun, and hopefully set things straight.  

But until then, Keda could only wait, and worry.

*******

* * *

_**[16 May 236 Before Age.  The F-Tunnel.]** _

“You didn’t have to frighten her like that,”  Zatte said after Luffa shut off the comm drone in Argon’s quarters.

“Who?  Keda?” Luffa asked.  She picked up the large bone and ripped a hunk of meat from it with her teeth.

“You said that guard would have _gutted me_ if I hadn’t defeated them in time,” Zatte reminded her.  "She was worried about me before I even started that mission.  This scratch on my arm was  
bad enough for her without your embellishment.“

"I’m a Saiyan,” Luffa said with a shrug.  "I gotta exaggerate.  Besides, the kid’s a rock, Zattie,“ Luffa said.  "She’s seen worse.  This guy named Hamey tried to stab her to death back on Bigreen.  She just shrugged it off and kept going.  She’s ironclad, just like you.”

“ _Stabbed_ her?  No, forget I asked.  Look, I appreciate what you’re saying, but–”

“And what I said was true, wasn’t it?” Luffa challenged.  "I fought those Wist goons too, you know, and they don’t fool around.  They weren’t in my league, but they were more than enough trouble for you.  Another minute or two and you might have been in serious trouble.“

"I… well, yes, but…”

Luffa pulled her closer with her other arm.  "I know you Dorluns are survivalists, not warriors, but sometimes it’s easy for me to think of you and Keda as funny-looking Saiyans.“

"Really?”  Zatte asked.

“No offense,” Luffa said.  "It’s kind of a backhanded compliment.  But I really appreciate what you did out there.  Took out a whole army of immortal soldiers, and all they could do was cut your arm.“

"It was nothing, Luffa,” Zatte said.  "Really, I–“

She tossed the meat aside and began stroking Zatte’s crimson hair.  "I wish you would have let me tell the Extraligan troops here about it,” Luffa said.  "They were pretty fired up when I told them the Wistians were gone, but they don’t know who to thank.  They just assumed _I_ did it somehow.“

Zatte smiled at her.  "Thanks for not mentioning me.”

“Why though?  You ought to get a medal for this.  Might look nice on that suit I bought you.”

“A medal?” Zatte gasped.  "For me?“

"Damn straight.  You earned one, if I have anything to say about it,” Luffa said.  "When all this is over, I can tallk to Marshall Booth and we can hold a ceremony.  I’m sure he’ll want to meet you.“

"That’s just it,” Zatte said.  "My people keep a low profile.  It’s safer that way.  Booth might be our ally for now, but he’s powerful and ambitious.  The less a he knows about me, the better I like it.“

"Hah.  If he even thought about messing with your people, I’d tear him in half,” Luffa harrumphed.

“Well, this way you won’t have to,” Zatte said.  "Besides, you’re in no shape to bisect anyone, from what the doctor tells me.“

She reached behind Luffa’s back and grabbed hold of her tail.  Luffa tried to pull it free, but couldn’t.

"The fae are weak to Saiyan _ki_ ,” Luffa said.  "I can still power up, but if I do, even a little, they’ll all die.  I have to suppress my power while I’m here, so… uh, maybe you could let go of that…“

"How’d you beat Argon without hurting any of them?” Zatte asked.

“It wasn’t easy,” Luffa admitted.  "Satisfying, though.  Look, could you…?“

"You know, this could be kind of fun,” Zatte said.  "I’m not used to being the stronger one, and– Are you okay?“

Luffa was starting to sweat.  "That kind of hurts, Zattie.”

She released the tail immediately.  "Sorry.“

"Nah, it’s fine.  It’s just that it’s been a struggle holding back like this for so long.  I thought it’d get easier with Argon out of the way, but I still have to be careful.”

“You really care about these faeries, don’t you?” Zatte asked.

“They’re good people, basically,” Luffa said.

They walked over to a balcony and took in the view of the city of Nhh-r-cooh below.

“The Dorlun legends always made them out to be horrible monsters,” Zatte said.  "Always lying in wait for an unsuspecting traveler to make a fatal mistake.  Normally I’d feel pretty stupid spending the night in the middle of their own lair, but seeing you with all this power over them… They seem almost ordinary now.“

"They won’t hurt you,” Luffa assured her.  "I wouldn’t let them, but it won’t come to that.  They learned their lesson a long time ago.  That’s why I have to hold my power in.  If I slip up, they’ll die thinking Saiyans are as petty and capricious as they used to be.“

"Well, I know you can handle it,” Zatte said.  "You’re pretty conscientious when you want to be.“

"Who, me?”

Zatte put embraced her and patted her on the back.  "Sometimes, it’s easy for me to think of you as a funny-looking Dorlun.  No offense.“

Luffa kissed her on the cheek.  "I’ve been called a lot worse.  From what I’ve seen, the Dorluns are pretty good folks.  I just wish you’d let me tell everyone else.  You helped out a lot of people, Zattie.  They should know what you did for them.”

“ _You_ know, Luffa,” Zatte said.  "That’s good enough for me.“

*******

_**[16 May 236 Before Age.  Planet Wist.]** _

_**"ARGON… IS DEAD.”** _

In the great hall of Goldwall Fortress, the Shockmaster loomed over his remaining chiefs of staff and crossed his arms over his massive chest.  Though his features were obscured by his glittering silver helmet, his displeasure was palpable to all in the room.  Communications with the F-Tunnel had been lost, and all attemps to open the wormhole from the Wist side had failed, suggesting that the controls on the Extraligan side had fallen into enemy hands.  

“But what happened?” asked the Kami.  

“The Super Saiyan happened,” Kandai snarled.  "I warned you, Shockmaster!  That fool Argon was never going to stop Luffa, and now that we’ve drawn her ire, she’ll come _here_!  She’ll _find me_ and then–!“

"Oh, hush,” Calgon said.  "You think the Partner hasn’t prepared for this possibility?“  She looked up at the Shockmaster with an eager expression.  "You _have_ prepared for this, haven’t you, Partner?”

_**“DON’T TRY ME, CALGON,”**_ the Shockmaster warned.   _ **“I HAVE PLANS FOR EXTRALIGA, AND NO ONE WILL STOP ME.”**_

“But without the wormhole, it will take weeks to reach the Extraliga System by ship,” the Kami observed.  "By the time we arrive, they will be ready and waiting for us.“

_**"YOU UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF WIST, KAMI.  RETURN TO YOUR DUTIES.   I’LL CONSULT THE REVERIE.”** _

“You’re going to meditate!?” Kandai asked.  "At a time like this?!  Don’t you realize the danger we’re in?!  If she–“

Before he could say another word, the Shockmaster had grabbed him by the throat.  He raised him high over his head and stared into Kandai’s horrified eyes.  

_**"YOU WANT A PIECE OF ME, KANDAI?”**_ he asked.  He tossed him to the ground and laughed.   _ **“YOU CAME TO ME FOR PROTECTION, KANDAI.  YOU CAME TO WIST.  IF YOU WANT THAT PROTECTION, YOU’LL DO AS YOU’RE TOLD.  HAHAHAHAHAHA!”**_

Calgon knelt down to help Kandai up, but he brushed her aside.  "O-of course, Partner,“ he said.  "Forgive me.”

_**“YOU HAVE YOUR ASSIGNMENTS,”**_ the Shockmaster bellowed.   _ **“I’LL SUMMON YOU WHEN I’M READY.”**_

The three of them left the hall.  As soon as Kandai and Calgon were alone, he shoved her against the wall of the corridor they were in.  

“What do you think you’re _doing_?!” he asked with a scowl.  

“Me?” Calgon asked innocently.  " _You’re_ the one he assaulted.“

"We’ll be vulnerable while he’s in the Reverie, you little idiot!” Kandai seethed.  "And yet you keep daring him to press on with this idiotic war!“

"He’s already made up his mind on Extraliga, Kandai,” Calgon said.  She made a token effort to squirm beneath his hands, but the smile on her face showed she didn’t particularly mind.  "I just want to know how determined he really is.   And maybe while he’s busy bragging about his precious Wist, he’ll let slip a few more secrets in the process, hm?“

"That’s… absurd!” Kandai growled.  "Do you have any idea how strong he is?  And yet you insist on trying to manipulate him!“

"Poor Kandai,” Calgon said.  "You’re not used to being in a position of weakness, are you?   You have to be flexible, you see.  You don’t swim against the current, you swim at an angle to use the current to your advantage.  It takes longer, but in the end…“  She looked up at him and grinned.  "You usually get what you want.”

His face turned red with anger, but at last he leaned in and kissed her.  Minutes later, when they had found a secluded part of the fortress, the two of them did a great deal more than that.  He didn’t know why he tolerated her endless scheming.  It certainly wasn’t because he trusted her.  Maybe he found her recklessness exciting.  Maybe, after being so desperate and afraid for so long, he admired her easy confidence, even if it was all a facade.

Mostly, though, she made him feel like he had some control over his fate, if only for a moment.  

*******

* * *

_**[17 May 236 Before Age.  The F-Tunnel.]** _

During her stay in the F-Tunnel, Luffa had gotten along rather well with the population.   The native faeries were indebted to her, of course.  The civilian prisoners represented a variety of different species, and they appreciated Luffa for being as much an outsider as themselves.

That left the entire Extraligan military, who were taken captive in the first minutes of the invasion.  Officially, Luffa was their commander in chief, but as fellow prisoners in the struggle against Wist, formality had fallen by the wayside.

“Attention on deck!” one of them shouted as she entered the bridge of the airship.  As one, they all dropped what they were doing and rose to their feet.

“What are you all standing around for?” Luffa said with a smirk.    "I thought you guys were busy.“

They all laughed and returned to their stations.  One of them whistled as Luffa passed by, and another started chanting her name.

"Madam Federatrix, will you marry me?” called one of the soldiers.

“Get in line!” Luffa called back.  The entire bridge roared with laughter.  She walked to one of the consoles where an Extraligan woman was reviewing sensor data.  "How do you put up with these geeks, Corporal?“

"I tell ’em you’ll knock some sense into them, sir,” she replied.  "That usually straightens them out.“

"Well, normally, I’d love to roughhouse with these guys for a while,” Luffa said, but I’m saving _that_ for Wist.  How about it, folks, anyone wanna come along?“

They all started cheering and shouting various slogans.  One of them screamed "You gonna give ’em the Vengeance Cannon, sir!?”

“Uh… Damn right I will!” Luffa shouted back.  

The Vengeance Cannon was supposed to be Luffa’s signature attack, at least according to the unauthorized, grossly inaccurate feature film that was made about her.  No one ever seemed to question the fact that the real Luffa didn’t look or talk much like the one in the movie, but they all seemed convinced that the _ki_ techniques were wholly authentic.  She had long since given up on correcting people.  Instead, she was seriously thinking about inventing an attack to play along with the hype.

“Leave a few of ’em for _us_ , sweetheart!” one of the soldiers cried.

“All right, let’s settle down, people.”  The lone voice of reason in the room was Major Tedirv, the senior officer of the airship’s crew.    As they crossed the deck, the Major saluted Luffa, then offered their hand.

“Welcome aboard, sir,” the Major said.  "I would have preferred a little more discipline in the ranks before a mission like this, but it is what it is.“

"Doesn’t bother me any, Major,” Luffa said as she shook their hand.    "Everyone in the whole Extraligan military’s been stuck cooling their heels, watching me fight the battle for them.    General Gordhowe told me damn near all of you volunteered to come along.“

"Honored to be here, sir,” Tedirv said.

“And I’m honored to have you. If it was up to me, I’d be taking the entire military with me to Wist’s doorstep,” Luffa said.    "But this blimp was the only aircraft the fae folk had that could still fly, and there’s only room for fifty, so there we are.  They did show you guys how to fly this thing, right?“

"Queen Phenylal’s people were very thorough,” Tedirv said.  "And we Extraligans are fast learners.“

"Good,” Luffa said.  "I guess it’s dumb of me to ask when we’re already a mile up in the air, but I’m used to handling my own transportation.“

"We may be a little overeager,” Tedirv said, glancing at their crew, “but we’ll get you where you you’re going.  I assume you’ve eaten.”

“Luffa patted her stomach and smiled.  "Just came from the galley.  I would have come up to see you sooner, but those faeries make some fantastic sandwiches.”

“Good, then I just need to give you this, and we’ll be all set.”

Tedirv gestured to one of the crew, who ducked behind a console and returned with a large scythe.  He handed it to his commanding officer, who then presented it to Luffa.

“The hell is this?” Luffa asked.

“The fae told me it was customary for their ancient warmasters to carry one of these when they rode into battle,” Tedirv said.  "You find that kind of tradition in a lot of cultures.  One of my instructors at the academy owned a cavalry sabre that his great-great grandfather carried while he captained an aircraft carrier.“

"Huh,” Luffa said.  She took the long handle and examined the craftsmanship.  It was longer than she was tall, and the blade curved out from one end like a talon torn from the foot of some immense bird-of-prey.

“Queen Phenylal thought you should have it,” Tedirv said, “since one of your ancestors would have held something similar on an old airship like this one.”

“Huh… okay,” Luffa said.  Her eyes lit up as the weapon’s significance began to sink in.  She  planted the end of the scythe on the deck and struck a triumphant pose, looking up at the blade as if it were a strange metal flag.

“It suits you,” called another voice.  Luffa turned and saw M’ranga entering through the hatch from the deck below.  Other than Luffa, she was the only non-Extraligan aboard.  This would have made her conspicuous enough, but her tricolor costume only made her stand out even more.

“Still with us, Ensign?” Luffa asked jokingly.  "There’s still time to head back if you want to go to Extraliga with the other prisoners.“

She smiled and shook her head.  "I’ve got comrades back on Wist,” she said.  "And when I left, there were plenty of good, honest people who need the services of Ensign Liberty.    I’m betting that hasn’t changed.“

"Glad to have you along,” Luffa said.  "But tone down the inspirational speeches, would you?  I don’t want to make these clowns any rowdier than they already are.“

M’ranga looked around at the crew and smiled warmly.  "You’ve given these soldiers all the hope and confidence they need, Luffa,” she said.  "I doubt I could say anything to improve morale further.“

"Approaching the terminus point,” announced the pilot.“

"Wormhole is scheduled to open in thirty seconds,” said a man at a communications station.

“Full speed ahead,” Tedirv commanded.  "We’ll be an easy target until we clear the portal.  Let’s make it as brief as we can.“

"Aye, sir.”

“Keep an eye on the aft sensors,” Tedirv said.  "I’ll want to know as soon as the portal closes behind us.“  They looked at Luffa expectantly.  "Once that happens, I assume it will be safe to use your full strength.”

“That’s the plan,” Luffa said.  She laid the scythe across her shoulders and draped her hands over  the handle on either side.  The blade hung down from one end on her left, and she stared at the forward viewscreen with relish.

“One question,” M’ranga said.  "Did the Extraligans all molt last night?  I don’t remember you all having the same bright yellow crest-feathers.“

Luffa glanced at her and raised her eyebrow.   "You know, I was wondering about that myself, Ensign.  How about it, Major?”

Tedirv shrugged.  "We, er, had a little briefing last night.  One of the sergeants asked the faeries for some dye, and well, one thing led to another…“

"Ah,” Luffa said.  She looked back at M’ranga.  "Show of solidarity.  Good luck before a big scrap.  I like it.“

"I see,” M’ranga.  She ran her hand through her own dark hair.  "I wish someone had told me.   I could have joined in.“

"Yeah, that kind of bugs me too, come to think of it,” Luffa said.  "Major, I’m in charge of this little shindig.    I hope you saved some dye for me.“

There was a rumble of laughter on the bridge as Luffa glared at Tedirv.

"Begging the Federatrix’s pardon,” Tedirv said, “but General Gordhowe informed me that you were already prepared on that matter.”

The crew laughed again.

“Five seconds to Wist,” announced the pilot.

“Well that’s just _great_ ,” Luffa said in mock indignation.  "We’re about to go into battle, and everyone in my unit’s got bright yellow scalps except me.  All because of a communication breakdown in the brass!  Typical army…“

"Ma’am, I’ll still marry you if it’s any consolation!” one of the men cried out.

“Passing through the wormhole now!”  called the pilot.

“No, it’s okay,” Luffa said.  "I’ll just have to muddle through.  She took a deep breath and tensed up.

“Clear of the portal!  Wormhole is closed!  Repeat, wormhole is closed.”

Luffa tightened her grip on the scythe.  Her eyes widened.  "It’s okay, Major.  It’s not your fault.“

She clenched her teeth and made a loud grunt, and suddenly she was engulfed in a gleaming, golden aura.  M’ranga took a step back and nearly stumbled over.  The bridge crew cheered in unison as her hair glowed in a shade of yellow very close to their own.

"I’ll just have to make do on my own!” Luffa shouted.

**NEXT:  The Battle of Wist.**


	44. Chapter 44

_**[17 May 236 Before Age.  Planet Wist.]** _

Once upon a time, the Aughtriver Valley had been the Aughtriver Plain.  Centuries ago, some enormous public works project had rerouted a major waterway through this region to provide hydroelectric power to local industries.  But _millennia_ ago, the Ancient Wist Civilization that once ruled this planet knew it as a plain.  This same civilization had produced the mighty warrior called the Shockmaster, who had been sealed away until a few weeks ago.  Once he was revived from his slumber, the Shockmaster seized control of the planet and vowed to change it back to the way he remembered it.  Among other things, that meant turning the Aughtriver Valley back into a plain again.  

The inhabitants of the planet Wist didn’t seem to mind these sweeping changes.  Until recently, their world had been called Goldwall, after the fortress from where they were dominated by a series of sadistic tyrants.  The Wist civilization was remembered as a bygone age of peace and prosperity, far removed from the political turmoil and uprisings of the modern era.  The Goldwallish _wanted_ to become Wistians.  They _wanted_ to be united under a strong leader and forged into a better, stronger society.  So none of them bothered to ask what any of that had to do with dumping tons of dirt into a valley to level the terrain.  

The Saiyan Kandai cared about none of this.  He had sworn fealty to the Shockmaster and became one of his four chiefs of staff in exchange for asylum and nothing more.  His three colleagues were chosen for their ties to the planet.  Lord Argon had been the former ruler of Goldwall, and Calgon had been a key leader of the rebellion against him, while Kami was a minor deity charged with defending the planet as a whole.  Kandai was an outsider, but he was the second strongest person on the planet.  A very _distant_ second, true, but he assumed the Shockmaster wanted him as an instrument of power projection.  Today, he had Kandai touring the work-site of the Aughtriver Project, probably just to keep the workers motivated.  

“As you can see, sir,” the foreman told him from the inside of the trailer that served as his office, “we should be able to transport more soil once the latest requisitions are approved, which would put us comfortably ahead of schedule…”

Kandai hated all of this.  He was a Saiyan warrior, or at least he had been until he betrayed his wife and went into hiding to escape her wrath.  All he really understood was combat, and she was too powerful to fight.  His only hope had been the fabled might of the Shockmaster, but he had no way of knowing whether it was enough to protect him.  Indeed, the Shockmaster seemed completely disinterested in his end of the bargain.  Perhaps this was confidence, but it felt more like the Shockmaster knew Kandai had nowhere else to turn.  

But that was the life of a desperate fugitive.  Kandai had shaved his head and cut off his tail to make himself less Saiyan in appearance, to better cover his tracks.  He had committed heinous crimes and other acts of cowardice to keep a low profile.  Now he was playing the role of a bureaucrat, while the Shockmaster intentionally provoked a war that would only draw his wife’s attention.  It was intolerable, but he _had_ to tolerate it, because it was the only way to stay alive.  

More and more, he felt like one of those damned Dorluns he and his wife had once been contracted to protect.  The blue-skinned, red-haired creatures were obsessed with staying alive at any cost.  To them, fighting and surrendering were just two more options on the table.  He found their flexibility revolting, but he had to admit their philosophy brought results.  

“Now this is especially interesting here,” the foreman said as he guided Kandai to a chart of mineralogical surveys.  Kandai was reasonably certain that it was not interesting at all.  He wished the diagram would take his mind of the Dorluns, but it just wasn’t captivating enough.  He remembered one of them always looked a little too long at his wife’s backside when she thought no one was paying attention.  What _was_ her name?  It started with–

Suddenly, he sensed it.  An _enormous_ power seemingly flashed into existence on the Planet Wist, thousands of miles away.  For a brief moment, he wondered if it was the Shockmaster.  The magnitude of it was about the same, but _ki_ signatures were like fingerprints, and this one felt like someone completely different.  

“Mr. Kandai?” the foreman asked, gently touching his shoulder.  "Are you all right?“

The civilians on this planet had no sensitivity to _ki_ energy whatsoever.  To them, Kandai just looked like he had seen a ghost, or suddenly remembered something urgent.  They had no idea that a tremendous power had manifested on their planet… _where_?   No.  It was right over Goldwall Fortress!  It was an attack, it had to be!  

Finally, he realized that the power felt familiar to him.  It was so great that he almost didn’t recognize it as Saiyan, for he had never sensed a Saiyan with this kind of strength.  And then he realized exactly _which_ Saiyan it was.  

"She’s _here_ ,” he whispered.  

In the next instant he felt Luffa open fire.  It was a Galick Gun, he was reasonably certain.  Luffa was terrible at the Galick Gun.  She never could hold her hands in the right position.  But with the immense power at her command, proper technique didn’t really matter.  Did she think he was inside the fortress?  Was she trying to flush him out of hiding?  What if she questioned survivors?  What if they told her he was here?

“Who’s here?” the foreman asked.  "What’s the matter wi–URK!“

He snapped the foreman’s neck, then ran out of the trailer, nearly shearing the door of its hinges as he burst out onto the construction site.  He then ran directly for the treeline to the west.  He didn’t dare fly, or even use his own _ki_ to increase his speed.  If Luffa sensed _his_ energy, even for a moment, it would be all over.  His only hope was to get as far from civilization as possible, to suppress his powers and wait for an opportunity to escape.  The workers would surely report his disappearance, but by the time Luffa found out he could be deep in the surrounding forests.  

*******

* * *

Goldwall Fortress had been the ancestral home of House Argon for centuries.  When the Shockmaster seized power, he adopted the stronghold as the center of his own regime.  It had withstood thousands of sieges and attacks, and its thick stone walls had borne silent witness to many more conspiracies and betrayals.

Now, half of it was gone, and the other half was on the verge of collapse.  From high above, the Super Saiyan floated in the air, and raised her arms to ready a second attack.

"What are you doing?!” M’ranga asked as she floated beside her.

“It’s called the Galick Gun,” Luffa said.  You must have heard me shouting it at the top of my lungs a second ago.  It’s a common Saiyan technique.“

M’ranga was a self-styled revolutionary, who fought tyranny under the _nom de guerre_ of "Ensign Liberty”.  Though powerful in her own right, she couldn’t begin to compare to the Super Saiyan’s strength.  She was used to being the underdog, to sneaking around, using the enemy’s overconfidence against them.  Not too long ago Ensign Liberty had infiltrated Goldwall Fortress with considerable difficulty.  Now, she was watching her ally Luffa demolish it like a sandcastle, practically daring anyone below to do something about it.

“I meant,” M’ranga said, “do you have to do it this _way_?”

Luffa glanced at her and then looked at the position of her hands.  "Look, I’ll admit it, I suck at Galick Guns.  My mother used to fuss that I never held my hands just right.  She thought it was because I’m a lefty.  But when you’re as strong as I am, you get a wider margin of error on these things.  Besides, I’m not putting all my power into this.  I’d blow up the whole planet if I did.“

M’ranga’s eyes widened.  "But… this is–”

“Too easy?” Luffa snorted.  "Yeah, welcome to _my_ world, Ensign.  This is just a diversion so the Extraligans can get get down to the surface in one piece.  All I gotta do is make a big enough mess that the Wistians can’t worry about anything else but me.  Otherwise, I’d be happy wrecking this whole city in a single shot, them move on to the next one.“

” _The entire city_?!“ M’ranga gasped.

Luffa looked at her and smiled.  "I didn’t _start_ this war, Ensign.    The Wistians liked it just fine while they were winning.  Well now the fighting’s on _their_ doorstep.”

“But the people!  They’re innocent!”  M’ranga protested.

“Get lost,” Luffa muttered.  "You tagged along because you had comrades down there, right?  You better find ’em fast.“

The glow in her hands had become an intense magenta, so great that it nearly drowned out the yellow aura that raged across Luffa’s body.  M’ranga watched in horror, then she took one last look at what remained of the castle.

"Please don’t do this.” she said.

“I said blow,” Luffa growled.

M’ranga drifted around Luffa until she was positioned directly in her line of fire.  "I won’t stand by and let you slaughter them all,“ she said.  "You’ll have to kill me first.”

“What makes you think I have a problem with that?” Luffa said with a harsh laugh.

In spite of the intense light, M’ranga refused to look away.  "The airship we used to get here,“ she said.  "You could have flown here under your own power, but you didn’t, because it would have been fatal to Phenylal and her people.  You showed restraint before, even when wholesale slaughter would have been easier.”

Luffa bared her teeth.  After what seemed like an eternity, she finally powered down her attack.  "You know what, fine,“ she said.  "I’m making a day of this, so I might as well make this interesting.”

“Thank you,” M’ranga said.  She sighed with relief and lowered her arms, and then suddenly she doubled over.  In a split second, Luffa had punched her in the abdomen, just hard enough to knock the wind out of her.

“What you just did took guts.  I respect that.  But from here on, _you stay out of my way_ , Ensign,” Luffa said coldly.  "That’s your only warning.“

She rocketed down to the wrecked castle, leaving M’ranga to catch her breath.

*******

* * *

"And where is the Shockmaster while all of this is going on?” Calgon asked.  

She had been inspecting Fort Whitecliff when the invasion began.  The base had gone on high alert when communications were disrupted in the initial attack, but Calgon had seen fit to lounge in the officers’ club and help herself to a bottle of spirits.  If the situation bothered her at all, she didn’t show it.

“Still in the Reverie,” the Kami said with a sigh.  I came here as soon as I could.  Kandai was last seen fleeing into the woods–“

"Now _there’s_ a surprise,” Calgon said with a chuckle.

“Nonetheless, it seems his assessment of the situation was correct.  Luffa has liberated Extraliga, conquered the F-Tunnel Wormhole, and now she’s used it to stage a counterattack.  We can safely assume Argon is either dead or incapacitated, which leaves you and I in command of the planet.”

“Really, Kami,” Calgon said as she poured herself another glass.  "For a god, you certainly love to state the obvious.  Do you have any _useful_ insights to offer, or did you just come here because my pretty face brightens your day?“

He took a slow deep breath as he tried to contain his frustration.  "I _came_ here,” he said slowly, “because our very world is under threat of annihilation.  I would _think_ you would have a vested interest in its preservation.”

“No, you came here because you have no idea what to do next,” Calgon said with a triumphant smile.  "Be honest, Kami, you only aligned with the Shockmaster because you had no idea how else to placate someone that powerful.  Now you’re a god who’s stuck in the messy world of mortal governance, and you don’t have Kandai or our ‘Partner’ to enforce the new world order.  You probably don’t think much of me.  I’m a schemer and a prostitute and I’ve stabbed a lot of people in the back to get this far in life, and I bet you don’t approve of me drinking this early in the day.   But you’re here, looking to me for help, which means _divine insight_ must not have gotten you very far, hm?“

"And I suppose you’ve come up with some brilliant plan, mortal?” Kami asked pointedly.  "One that somehow involves you debauching yourself in the midst of a crisis?“

"I’m just enjoying my downtime, Kami,” Calgon said.  She picked up a second glass from the bar and filled it.  "Why don’t you join me?  You’ve got nothing better to do.“

He stared at the glass like it gave off an offensive odor.  Eventually, Calgon shrugged and drank it herself.  "At least sit down,” she said.  "You’re so tense you look like you’ll snap in half.“

This was more agreeable to him, and when he was seated in the barstool next to her, she explained herself.  "All the reports coming in show Luffa attacking various military installations and spaceports across the planet,” she began.

“A sound strategy to eliminate resistance,” Kami said.  

“You don’t get it, do you?” Calgon said.  "If our conventional forces could have stopped her, she never would have made it off Extraliga.  The _only_ thing that might be able to stop her is the Shockmaster, and that remains to be seen.  Bases like this one are no threat to a Super Saiyan. Hell, I’m not so sure a normal Saiyan like Kandai would waste time on them.“

"Then what is she doing?” Kami asked.  

“I’m thinking she doesn’t know much about our defenses, so she’s testing us to see what we’ll throw at her,” Calgon said.  "That’s why I’ve ordered the troops to defend themselves, but not to counterattack.  No sense tipping our hand, even if it’s a bad one.“

"But if we don’t resist, she’ll go on demolishing everything on the planet!” Kami protested.

“So she smashes up a bunch of Wist-style architecture,” Calgon said with a wave of her hand.  "That doesn’t break _my_ heart, and you’re the guardian of the whole planet, not the infrastructure.   Our beloved Partner might have a bone to pick with that, but he’s welcome to step in any time he pleases.“

"Then what–?” Kami began to ask.  

“The spaceports are the key,” Calgon went on.  "They serve no immediate tactical purpose.  Oh, we’ll need them to rebuild when this is over, but she’s not destroying them to cripple our war effort.  She’s doing it as quickly as she can, because she’s trying to cut off his escape.“

"Kandai,” Kami muttered.  "You think she knows he’s here.“

"Argon probably told her he was on the planet,” Calgon said, “But she must not know exactly where, or she wouldn’t be bothering to cut off his only means of escape.  Once she’s made sure no one can leave the planet, she can hunt him down at her leisure.   But _we_ can speed up that process.”

“You’d actually sacrifice your own lover?” Kami said.  

“Oh, don’t be naive, Kami,” Calgon said. “He’d do the same to me if he thought it would save his skin.  Besides, he’s doomed anyway.  I just want to get it over with so she’ll leave the planet.  We might even get a few concessions in exchange.  Shockmaster or no, I stand to come out of this in a much more favorable position, and so will _you_ , if you help me.”

Kami considered her plan for a moment, as though chewing a morsel of food and deciding whether or not he could stomach it.  "How do we proceed?“ he finally asked.

Calgon smiled and poured them another round.  

*******

It didn’t take long for M’ranga to locate her comrades.  Explaining her plan was a more complicated endeavor.    As she spoke with them in their hideout at the bottom of a remote swamp, she could tell they were skeptical.

"You already _tried_ assassinating the bloke, love,” Scotch Woodcock growled after a long swig from a half-empty bottle of liquor.  There was a look of concern in his three eyes, which he tried to conceal in the shadow of his wide-brimmed black hat.  "Got you a one-way ticket to the bloody tunnel, didn’t it?“

"A rrrrrouund triiiiip, it would seeeeeeem,” said Tobiko.  He claimed to be thousands of years old, a living relic of the ancient civilization the Shockmaster sought to recreate.  He looked like some manner of sea creature, and his magics gave him the ability to teleport to any body of water on the planet.  This alone had made him instrumental to their little resistance cell, as he could whisk them away to his secret lair at the first sign of trouble.

“Yeah, and she brought along some friends on the way back,” Woodcock muttered.  He stroked the thick handlebar mustache that connected with his sideburns.  "Y’ask me, this Super Saiyan bird’s doing just fine without any help from us.  Be lucky if she doesn’t tear the whole planet apart.“

"That’s my point, Mr. Woodcock,” M’ranga said desperately.  "The Shockmaster won’t let her rampage across the planet like this for much longer, and when he does confront her, the battle may doom millions of innocent people, no matter who wins!  But we can stop him before it even comes to that.  And with him out of the picture, Wist can surrender!“

"It _coulllld_ worrrrrk,” Tobiko said.    "The Shockmaaaaaster is of the ancient waaaaayys, as I aaaaaaam.    If he iiiiis in the Reverie, then he would be vuulllnerable…“

"We just have to find him before he snaps out of it,” M’ranga said.

“Gotta _find_ the wanker first,” Woodcock muttered.  "Whatever he’s on about, he’s keepin’ his battle power suppressed so well we can’t sense him.“

"Leave that to me,” M’ranga said.  "While I was stuck in that prison dimension, I met magical beings who were just as fed up with the Shockmaster’s tyranny as we are.  While Luffa was planning this invasion, I made some preparations of my own.“

She reached behind her back and withdrew a nugget of copper from one of the pouches on her belt.  She held it tightly and the lump of metal began to glow.

"It’s a talisman,” M’ranga explained.  "All I have to do is think about that tyrant, and it shows me the way to him, whether he’s powered up or not.“

"Impressive,” Tobiko said, regarding the nugget with fascination.  "Suuuch ancient enchantments, even byyyyy the standards of my ooooown forgotten arts…“

"That’s yer trouble, girl.  Gotta have a bloody answer to everything, don’t ya?” Woodcock groaned.  He took another swig from his bottle, then tossed it over his shoulder.  Then he stood up and adjusted the large metal belt buckle on his black leather pants.

“There’s always an answer to tyrants, Mr. Woodcock,” M’ranga said.  "It’s just a matter of knowing where to look.  So are we in, or out?“

Tobiko nodded sagely, and Woodcock rolled all three of his eyes.  "What the hell?” he said.  "Came here lookin’ for a ruckus, might as well enjoy it.“

********

* * *

There was nothing left of Oldcourt Station.  The entire facility was in flames.  It’s defenders were dead, its weapons lay broken and useless.  

Luffa stood in the center of the landing field and laughed as she admired her handiwork.  She picked up a crate of rations and ripped open the metal frame like the rind of a ripe fruit.  Soon, she began ripping open the packages and dumping their contents into her mouth.  

"Real nice planet you have here, Kandai,” she said to herself as she ate.  "Enjoy it while you can…“

**NEXT: Aggressive Negotiations**


	45. Chapter 45

**[17 May 236 Before Age.  Planet Wist.]**

“Just follow my lead and let me do the talking.  Everything will be fine.”

The Guardian of the Planet Wist found this advice less than reassuring, though he saw no other alternative.  Despite his heavenly office, he had been forced to compromise much in recent weeks.  First he had submitted to the authority of the Shockmaster, assuming a position in his temporal government.  Then when the Super Saiyan invaded, he found himself with no other choice but to depend on his new colleague in the Shockmaster’s staff.  Calgon was a manipulative opportunist, but she claimed she could convince the Super Saiyan to stay her hand, and come out ahead in the process.  

They had evacuated one of the spaceports that lay in Luffa’s general path of destruction, and Calgon had arranged a buffet table to be set out on one of the landing platform.  She had discarded her black and silver military uniform in favor of the sort of dress worn by business executives and nobles, and the Guardian could even smell perfume wafting from her general direction.  He had to admit, at least she seemed to have thought this through.  When Luffa finally flew over their position, he clung to the hope that her preparations would be enough.  

“Are you two supposed to be in charge?” Luffa asked as she landed.  Though she had dropped from the sky like a bullet, her feet touched the platform without making a sound.  "You’re the only two in this whole area, so I’m guessing you want my attention.  This had better be _good_.“

"Welcome to Fairhaven Spaceport,” Calgon said amicably.  "I’m Calgon, one of the chiefs of staff for the Planet Wist.  My colleague here is the Kami of this planet, if you can believe it.  For the moment, we’re authorized to negotiate on behalf of–“

Luffa had walked towards her as Calgon spoke, and began sniffing at the air with a suspicious look on her face.  This threw Calgon off for a moment, but she quickly regained composure.  

"Er, please help yourself,” she said, gesturing to the buffet.  "Consider it a token of our goodwill.“

Luffa ignored the table and began walking around Calgon.  "You’ve been sleeping with him, haven’t you?” she asked.  

“The Saiyans have a keen sense of smell,” Calgon said to Kami.  She looked back at Luffa and made a contrite smile.  "I was _hoping_ to be tactful about it, but there was never any point in denying my relationship with Kandai.  I understand that you and he were married–“

” _Where is he?_ “ Luffa asked.  

"Well, that’s the heart of the matter, isn’t it?” Calgon said.  "You’ve come here to kill him, haven’t you?  Oh, he told us about you, though he never explained just what he had done to make you so upset with him.  Though I’m sure he deserves everything you plan to do to him.“  She went to the table and put some fruit spread on a piece of bread.  "He’s a pig, after all.  I hope you understand my position in all of this.  It’s not wise to reject the advances of a Saiyan, and I knew gaining his confidence could benefit me later on.  Now that _you’re_ here, we can _help_ one another, and not _just_ with tracking down Kandai.  I understand that we have a great deal in common, you and I.”

Calgon sat down in a chair and crossed her legs while she took a bite of her bread.  "Believe me, I’ve been against this war from the start, but there was only so much I could do before.  Currently, we have a window of opportunity to set things right, and with your help, I can push through an instrument of surrender.  There _are_ certain parties on Wist who would be opposed to my actions, but you could eliminate _them_ with a flick of your wrist, now couldn’t you?“  

Luffa walked past Calgon and approached the Kami.  His eyes widened with fear and he had to fight the impulse to take a step backward.  

” _You_.  You’re the god of this planet?“ Luffa asked.  

The Kami looked at Calgon nervously, then nodded.  

"Good,” Luffa said.  "I’ve heard about beings like you.  Now listen carefully.  I want you to–“

"Now just a minute,” Calgon protested.  She had gotten up from her seat and approached Luffa from behind.  When she was close enough she reached out for Luffa’s arm.  "I know you must be skeptical of our intentions, but I _really_ think it would be best if you and I discussed–“

In the moment she touched Luffa’s person, the Saiyan spun around and decapitated Calgon with a single kick.  The headless corpse tumbled to the floor, blood spilling from its severed neck.  The Kami couldn’t tell what had happened to Calgon’s head.  Either Luffa had knocked it into the distance, or the force of her attack had somehow vaporized it.  She turned to face him again, this time with a savage look on her face.  For a moment, the only sound was the steady thrum of her golden aura.

Luffa grabbed the Kami by his robes and pulled him down, forcing him to his knees.

"I hope you’re a _lot_ smarter than she was,” Luffa said.

The Kami nodded.

*******

* * *

All things considered, Kandai thought he was doing rather well.    He had made it deep enough into the forest that no one was likely to find him.    The trees weren’t very comfortable, but they provided him an adequate place to sleep.  There was enough wild game to keep him fed and he had scouted a creek nearby as a reliable source of water.  He wouldn’t be able to stay for long, but he was beginning to think this would make a good place to spend the night at least–

And then he sensed her approach.  He had kept his senses focused on Luffa’s movements all along, relaxing when she moved away from his position, and panicking when she seemed to move in his general direction.  But this time she was coming straight at him, and at a speed he didn’t even think possible.  There was no time to run or hide, and so all Kandai managed to do was to throw up his forearms to protect his face.

In the next moment, he found himself awash in an enormous energy blast.  His own _ki_ was enough to deflect the assault just enough to save his life, but no more.    When the attack subsided and he lowered his arms to see what had happened, he found the forest was gone.  It looked like the surface of a barren moon, and he now stood in a crater lined with ash that had once been trees and underbrush.

Above him, he saw Luffa standing in mid-air, looking down upon her handiwork.

In spite of his despair, he couldn’t help but admire her.  He had heard about her Super Saiyan form, but to witness it _in person_ was something else altogether.  Her body glowed with a yellow light, and the hair on her head and tail looked like molten iron.  Her eyes were a strange shade of blue-green, but what truly horrified him was that, aside from these details, she still looked like his wife.  Her face was the same, her black top and yellow pants, even the fingerless gloves she had always been so fond of wearing.  It was that familiarity mixed with the bizarre that he found so unsettling.  If a complete stranger had confronted him in this way, it might have been more bearable.

His first panicked impulse was to flee, before he could even turn around to run, Luffa struck him, knocking him down into the ground with such force that his body made a second, smaller crater within the first.  Before he could even try to get up, she was standing over him.    She reached down and grabbed him by the shirt of his uniform and pulled him upright.

“Luffa–!” was all he could say in his astonishment.

“Hi, _honey_ ,” she said.  "I ran into your girlfriend a little while ago.  She’s dead now, but _before_ I killed her, she introduced me to this planet’s guardian.  I think you already know him.“

"N-no!” he gasped.

“He’s got some pretty sharp senses,” Luffa said.  "I guess he’d have to, to keep an eye on the whole planet.  Aliens like you and me stick out like sore thumbs, at least when he’s _motivated to look_.  Besides, you’ve got a _lot_ of evil in your heart from what he told me.“

She clicked her tongue.  "Now what do you think he meant by *that*, Kandai?  Do you have something you want to confess?”

“Luffa, I–”

She smiled as she began cracking her knuckles.  In the next instant she stomped on his chest.  Kandai didn’t even see her move.  

“You killed our son!”  She screamed.  

“Luffa, _please_ …” Kandai said.  He didn’t really expect mercy.  In his heart, he didn’t believe he deserved it.  He simply didn’t know what else to say.

Luffa just screamed.    The aura that surrounded her flashed and expanded.  Just when it seemed like she would never stop, she picked him up by the tunic of his uniform and hauled him to his feet.   She struck his face.  Then she did it again.  And again.  By the time Kandai had managed to raise his arms to protect his head, she had already hit him several dozen times.  She let him go so she could use both arms, but he could barely stand, and so she occasionally steadied him with one hand while attacking with the other.  

He tried to reach for her throat, mostly because it was easier to see than the furious blur of her arms, but she swatted his hand aside with such force that for a moment he thought she might have torn his hand from his wrist.  

“What the hell is _wrong_ with you, you bastard!?” she shouted.  " _Fight back_!“

"I _can’t_ ,” Kandai gasped.  He wanted to.  Despite the fear, despite the impossible odds, something deep inside him had fantasized about this moment.  He had imagined putting up at least a token resistance, but Luffa had beaten him in the first few seconds.  He might survive a while longer, but defending himself was impossible.  

He dropped to his knees and his hands hung limp at his sides.  One of them was still numb from when she had swatted it.  He was fairly sure he could raise the other with considerable effort, but he couldn’t see the point in trying.  

“Get up!” Luffa shouted.  "Get!   _Up!_ “

"You’ve won, all right?!  Just finish me and be done with it!”

“No…  No, you don’t get off that easy!” she screeched.  "You sold me out to the Tikosi!  They tortured me for _months!_  I was pregnant with _your child_ and you didn’t even care!  You could have helped me, but you didn’t!  You could have _killed_ me, but you _didn’t!_  Instead you let them cut me open!  You took our son!   What did you _do_ with him!?  Tell me!“

He turned pale as he realized that she was going to drag this out.  She put her other hand on his collarbone, and slowly began to apply pressure on either side of it.

” _I’ll rip you apart_ ,“ she said.  "Piece by piece until you tell me everything I want to know!”

“I’ll tell you everything now!” Kandai said.

“Dammit!”  Luffa shouted.  She flung him into the ash like a sack of garbage.  Then she raised her hand and pointed her index and middle finger at him.    He could sense the energy gathering in her fingertips.  She could kill him in an instant with that much power.  He couldn’t bear to watch, but neither could he look away.

Then the energy faded, and she clenched her fist instead.  "Dammit!“ Luffa shouted again.

"You… can’t do it, can you?” Kandai said.  For the first time in years, he felt the slightest flicker of hope.  

“Of course I can!” Luffa yelled.  "Anyone could kill you like this!  You’re pathetic!“

"Then do it!” he shouted.  "Kill me!  Cripple me!  Torture me, if that’s what would satisfy you!  You’ve found me, so get on with it!  What are you waiting for?! “

She stared at him with a blank expression, then sat down in the dust and sighed.

  "I don’t know,” she said.  "I killed my father so quickly I didn’t have time to really think about it.  I’ve had a long time to figure out just what kind of pain I want to put you through, Kandai, but there’s only some much of you to go around.  Hah.  I can’t decide how to end it.“

Kandai laughed.  "You thought I’d be stronger than this,” he said.  "That I’d last longer against you.“

"I think you’re actually a little weaker than you were the last time I saw you,” Luffa said.   “You’re a disgrace, Kandai.”

“What was the point of training?” he asked.  "Against something like you, all I could do was run and hide.“

"That’s why you cut off your tail, isn’t it?” Luffa asked.  "And shaved your head?  To keep a low profile?“

"For all the good it did me,” Kandai said.  He dropped to a sitting position and clutched his arm.  "But it got me this far.  If you hadn’t started that damned Federation, I might have lasted longer…  It’s a dirty trick, Luffa.  Using politics against me.“

She grinned at him.  "You _liked_ that huh?” she asked.  "People kept telling me how I was ‘making the galaxy a better place’ by uniting planets in 'peaceful cooperation’.  Hah! I was just doing it so those warlords would stop fighting each other and help me hunt down _your_ sorry ass.  There’s a whole intelligence bureau on Despye assigned to find you.  For 'classified’ reasons, of course.  Officially, you’re a star witness to a war crime on Dasper XII.  I didn’t want air our dirty laundry.“

"Guess they’re out of work,” Kandai said.  "Argon told you I was here, didn’t he?“

"Did you really think _he’d_ protect you?” Luffa asked.  "He’s a bigger coward than _you_ are.“

"You didn’t leave me with a lot of options,” Kandai said.  "I wanted to fight you in person, I really did, but I knew it was pointless.   You defeated _fifty_ Saiyans on Vedev?“

"Fifty- _three_ ,” Luffa said with a proud grin.  "That was a _fun_ day.  You should have been there, Kandai.  Fifty-four might have been your lucky number.“

"I doubt it,” Kandai said.   “What did the Tikosi _do_ to you, Luffa?”

“They pushed me too far, that’s what.”  She pointed to her glowing hair.  "You like it?“

"It’s awful,” Kandai said.  He wiped the sweat off of his bald pate and snorted.  "But I’m in no position to judge anyone’s hair these days.“

"It’s natural, as far as I can tell,” Luffa said.  "Chanisp looked like this.“

"The _legendary_ Chanisp?” Kandai asked.

“And Asparaj,” Luffa said with a nod.  "Maybe Old Darbock, but I can’t prove it.  I’m thinking all the old heroes had this same power.  Somebody just pushed them too far, and they snapped, like I did.“

He sniffed at the air and made a face.  "You’re seeing that Dorlun now, aren’t you?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Luffa said.  "Don’t tell me you’re _jealous_.  You left me for dead, Kandai.  Hell, our whole marriage was a sham, right?  Let me guess, Dad put you up to it to keep me in line.“

"Close enough,” Kandai said.  "He hired me to help him after your mother, er…“

"After he left my mother to die,” Luffa said.  "You and Father had a lot in common.  You’re both cowards who betrayed your wives and children, and you both managed to piss off the Legendary Super Saiyan.  Small universe.“

"Look, he wanted to steal your mother’s power somehow.  He was obsessed with this idea that some Saiyans are just naturally stronger than others, and he was convinced the Tikosi could help him transplant that inborn talent from her into him.”

“He told me about that,” Luffa said.  "Somewhere along the way, he decided _I’d_ be an even better test subject.  I don’t know if that was because I was a closer genetic match, or he just thought I had more potential than Mother.“

"All I know is that you were getting stronger very quickly,” Kandai said.  "He thought you were training to help him on mercenary jobs, so he brought me in to discourage that idea.  With me backing him up, you’d go back to the grunt work.  Cleaning up after us, cooking our meals, keeping an eye on the ship.  That was what you wanted to do, wasn’t it?“

"All I _wanted_ was to do my _part_ ,” Luffa insisted.  "We were a _family_ , dammit!  I would have been happy polishing your armor or fighting on the front lines!  Whatever it took to support the team!“

"That’s what I always liked about you, Luffa,” Kandai said.  "You actually buy into all that crap.  Reminds me of my grandmother.  She died when I was little, but she was always telling those stupid stories, going on about duty and honor…“

"That 'crap’ is who we _are_!” Luffa shouted.   “I 'buy into’ it because I’m proud of our Saiyan heritage!  Didn’t your mother ever teach you about–?”

“My mother died on a battlefield when I was two,” Kandai said.  "She didn’t care about sitting at home telling me a bunch of nonsense about what dead men think!  Our only 'heritage’ is to fight!  That’s all that matters!  Orij’s plan was revolting, but he was strong enough to make it happen, so I went along with it!   I figured I might as well marry you in the meantime.  The way you were throwing yourself at me, I didn’t have much choice…“

"Oh, bull!” Luffa growled.  "I only approached you because _you_ were too timid to come to _me_!  I couldn’t have you getting shot on a mission because you were too distracted _fantasizing_ about me, now could I?“

"You… _vulgar_ …” Kandai gasped.  "How can you _talk_ like that out in the open–!“

"Kandai, there’s no one around for miles,” Luffa said.  "See, this is exactly what I’m talking about.  Timid.“

He looked around and snorted.  "I suppose you’re right.”

For a few seconds, they laughed together, and it felt almost like the way it had been a few years earlier.  Before the Tikosi.  Before the Super Saiyan.   Then the laughter faded, and there was an awkward pause.  

“I ruined a good thing,” Kandai finally said.  "I am sorry about that much, Luffa.“

"Did you even care about the baby?” Luffa asked.  

“It was never part of the plan,” Kandai said.  "You ran off to be in that tournament, and I didn’t see you again until you were already on the Tikosi’s planet.  That was when I found out.  I spent a lot of those days looking for new work.  Seeing what Orij was willing to do to his own daughter didn’t fill me with confidence.   And if his plan worked, he wouldn’t have had much use for me, so I started exploring my options.“

"That’s when King Rehval made you an offer,” Luffa said.  

“How… how did you know about that?” Kandai asked.

Luffa turned her head and spat before answering.  "Contempt for Saiyan royalty runs in my family,“ Luffa said.  "But you married in, Kandai, so I don’t think you ever felt _that_ strongly about it.  And I knew when I started hunting for you that you might go running to Rehval for asylum.  I made a few… inquiries. It was pretty easy, since that pompous buffoon likes to set up _embassies_ on every planet he can find.”

“But they told me it was strictly off the record,” Kandai said.  

Luffa held up her hand and placed it against the side of her face.  "I don’t need records, Kandai,“ she said.  "I can read minds just by touching people.  It’s not something I like to do, and it probably doesn’t get as much press as my other powers.  I found a clerk who knew about your little backroom deal.  You sold a 'sample’ of Saiyan fetal tissue to Rehval, and I have a scar on my gut that says where you got it from.  How much did he pay you?   I’m curious.”

He shook his head and sighed wearily.  "Not as much as he promised, if it makes you feel any better,“ he said bitterly.  "It was mostly political favors.  I was supposed to be granted a high-ranking position in the Saiyan Royal Military.  Job security, plenty of choice assignments, things like that.  But once word of the Super Saiyan got around, and rumors began to circulate that you were after me, the King severed all ties.  Besides, I committed some crimes on worlds friendly to Planet Saiya, so he’d like nothing better than to extradite me to one of them.  I’m as much on the run from him as I am from you.”

“My heart bleeds for you,” Luffa muttered.  "Why does _'His Majesty’_ want Saiyan fetal tissue?“

"Because he’s just like your father!” Kandai snapped.  "He wants power, and he’s not above using scientific trickery to claim it!  I knew that if you and your mother had enough potential to interest the Tikosi, then your offspring would fetch a high price.  A living specimen would have been _better_ , but I didn’t want to risk waiting around for you to deliver.  I requested that the Tikosi remove it, and Orij didn’t object, so I took the sample and left.“

"That 'sample’ was _your own son_!” Luffa shouted.

“He was doomed from the start!” Kandai insisted.  "You were as good as dead, and so was he!“

"You were _his father_!” Luffa growled.  "You could have tried to save him!  You could have helped me and we would have fought them!“

"Orij and the Tikosi would have killed me!”

“Then we would have died _together_!” Luffa said.  "You and me and the brat inside me!  It would have been _glorious_!“

"You… you really mean that!   You’re _serious_ …” Kandai said.

She looked at him with a wide-eyed grin, her teeth gleaming from the glow of her aura.  "Of _course_ I am,“ she said as she balled up her fists.  "A hopeless battle against a horde of Tikosi?  I’ve already done it _twice_ , and let me tell you, it was a hell of a time.”

She stood up and her aura expanded around her as she walked towards him.  Kandai knew it was pointless, but he still scooted away from her as she approached. 

“And who did I have at my side?” she asked in a raw, ugly voice.  "A couple of Dorluns?  A Yetitan?  A doctor from… I forget where his home planet is, but that’s not the point.  _They_ stood with me to the bitter end, but not _you_.  No, a _noble warrior of the Saiya_ couldn’t be bothered to lift a finger for his own family!“

"Because I’m not a fool!” Kandai shouted.  "What good is a fight you can’t win?!“

"What good is _winning_ when you don’t have to _fight_ for it?!” Luffa shouted back.

“Exactly,” Kandai said.  "That’s exactly why you won’t kill me, Luffa.  I’ve been following your exploits for a long time now.  The few Saiyans who would still talk to me told me you were soft.  I thought they were just too envious to admit your superiority, but now… ha! _Now_ , I understand.“

She set her jaw and looked down upon him silently, waiting for what he had to say next.  He let the moment linger, as though double-checking his conclusion.  Then at last, he allowed himself to enjoy that small flicker of hope.  

"This 'Super Saiyan’ power of yours,” he said.  "It hasn’t just amplified your _ki_ , it’s affected your _mind,_ Luffa.  Your lust for battle has gotten so out of control that all you can think about is finding a new challenge!   Without a sporting chance, there’s no point to killing me anymore, is there?  Not even for revenge!“

**NEXT: Deadlock…**


	46. Chapter 46

_**[17 May 236 Before Age.  Extraliga]** _

“You want to go after her?  Are you insane!?”

“You’re way out of line, kid!”

On the bridge of Luffa’s star-yacht, her companions were having an argument.  They were Dorluns, of a culture that valued survival above all, and they had been separated from the rest of their kind.  This and their ties to Luffa had made them very close, almost like sisters, but that didn’t mean they always agreed.  

The younger of the two, Keda, had assumed a role as Luffa’s business assistant.  She managed the Saiyan’s finances, kept the ship running smoothly, and did whatever odd jobs needed doing.   Most of this could be accomplished from the yacht’s spacious bridge, and so Keda had converted it into her own private quarters.   Off to one side of the deck she had a sleeping bag and a footlocker, and various personal effects laying around them.  Ironically, there were far more comfortable cabins on the ship–it had originally been a luxury pleasure craft after all–but Keda wasn’t interested in comfort.  For her, the bridge was the best place to be on the ship, since she could respond to almost any situation from that location.  

Her only real regret about working for Luffa was that it made for a somewhat lonely existence.  Luffa was a good friend, but a strange one, and not always sociable.  The Saiyan would get into one of her moods and keep to herself, sometimes for days.  Keda tried to keep a respectful distance, but she had long wished for more relateable company.  When Zatte showed up, it seemed like a dream come true.  

It had been a miracle of sorts.  Zatte was supposed to have been killed while defending the Dorlun colony from an alien invasion.  But Dorluns were hard to kill, and after two years, she turned up alive and well, though she had lost her right eye in the battle.  Best of all, she had agreed to live with them on the ship, but it had all been a trick.  Zatte had actually been enchanted by a race of demonic creatures the whole time.  Luffa had managed to free Zatte from their power, but Keda found it difficult to believe everything was back to normal.  

“Zatte, we’re safe here!” Keda said.  "If we follow Luffa to Planet Wist, who knows what we might run into!“

"What, so we just abandon her?” Zatte asked.  She was about twice Keda’s age, and normally that would have settled the dispute then and there.  The Dorluns respected their elders, after all, since an elder was someone who had managed to stay alive longer.  But Keda had never heard an adult Dorlun talk as recklessly as Zatte.  Besides, living with a Super Saiyan had forced Keda to grow up in a hurry.  She refused to back down from this.

“Luffa told us to stay behind!” Keda shouted.  "She doesn’t need our help, dammit!“

"Watch your mouth, Keda,” Zatte said.  

“Or what?” Keda shot back.  "Are you gonna _fight_ me?  That seems to be your answer to everything else!“

"She’s the _xan'nil-Dor_!” Zatte insisted.  "We have an _obligation_ as Dorluns to–“

"Don’t play that card with me,” Keda snapped.  "You keep saying she’s a _xan'nil-Dor_ , but I don’t buy it!  You’re just looking for an excuse to go charging into battle again.“

"You of all people should understand what I’m trying to do!” Zatte said.  "You’ve been providing support for Luffa’s work for years now!“

Keda threw up her hands.  "Because it’s my job!” she shouted.  "Luffa _pays_ me for this.  She lets me live on her ship for free and she lets me use the subspace radio to try to find other Dorluns.  And if we run into any trouble at all, she takes care of it.  She’s the strongest person in the universe, and she pays me to live under her protection!“

Zatte turned up her nose.  "Is that all she is to you?” she asked.  "Just a resource to exploit?“

"Of course not,” Keda said.  "But I’m not trying to turn her into some kind of religious symbol to justify bad decisions like you are!   You want to risk your neck, and you’re using her as an excuse!“

"I said watch your mouth, kid!” Zatte yelled.  Among the Dorluns, ‘risk’ was not a word to be used lightly.  

“Oh, so it’s bad for me to _say_ it, but it’s okay for you to _do_ it?” Keda scoffed.  "What did those Makyans _do_ to you, Zatte?“

Her good eye narrowed as she looked down at Keda.  "They showed me that there’s a lot of evil in the universe,” she said grimly.  "And that we can’t just hide under our beds and hope someone else will fix it for us.“

They stared at each other wordlessly, and and then the door to the lift opened.   Dr. Topsas stepped onto the deck.  In three of his arachnoid limbs he held mugs.  

"Ladies,” he said pleasantly.  "I couldn’t get to sleep, so I went to the galley to make some tea.  Would you care for some?“

"Not right now, doctor,” Zatte said in a low voice.

“Thanks, but no,” Keda said.  

“Hmm, more for myself, I suppose,” Topsas said.  "Ms. Zatte, I should like to look at your arm once more in the morning.“

"It’s fine, doctor.”

“Indeed, but I have little experience in treating Dorlun patients, and my old exophysiology professor always warned me to be thorough.  You mammals have so few arms as it is.  You’ll forgive me for being overcautious.”

“Of course,” Zatte said.  "First thing tomorrow.“

He turned and left the way he came in, and the two of them continued staring at each other.  

"You don’t trust me because of what the Makyans did to me,” Zatte said.  "Is that it?  You still think I’m under the influence of the Black Water Mist.“

"Well, you stopped wearing that weird costume,” Keda said, “but you haven’t done anything about your hair.”

The Dorluns all wore their red hair long, just in case they needed to use some of it for kindling to start a fire in an inhospitable situation.  It was one of their oldest customs, dating back to the dawn of Dorlun civilization.  Keda had hers tied up in a bun for convenience.  Zatte had most of hers cut off at the whim of her former masters.  She had been sporting an undercut bob ever since.  Her bangs hung down just above her eyebrows, and the rest of her hair barely covered her ears.  It was a stylish look, but not very Dorlun at all.  

“I happen to like my hair this way,” Zatte said.  "It’s a lot easier to wear my eyepatch, for starters.“

"I hadn’t thought of that,” Keda said rubbing the tip of her chin.  

“You know I infected Luffa with the Mist, right?” Zatte added.  "You still trust her, don’t you?“

"Yeah, but…”

“She cured herself,” Zatte said.  "I don’t understand it all, but she managed to break free and then she did something in my mind, and the next thing I knew we were all back to normal.“

"All?” Keda asked.

“They had a lot of agents out there, kid,” Zatte said.  She walked over to the main viewscreen and looked at the display of the night sky outside.  "I know because one of the jobs they made me do was to keep tabs on them.  There was this order of monks on this one planet.  We had three of them infected with the Mist.  No one in the monastery knew, but every night they went out and held these arcane rituals to summon evil spirits.  Blood sacrifices, the works.  Every so often they’d send me a progress report.   There was another planet where we had one woman killing random strangers on a regular basis.  Just, picked an innocent person and slashed their throat.  She’d send me a list of names.  Another guy was the prime minister of his planet.“

"What did _he_ do?” Keda asked.  

Zatte shrugged.  "I have no idea.  His orders were to sit tight and wait for the 'right moment’, whatever that was.  At the time, I used to look forward to it.  I used to look at a big map of the galaxy and look at all the red dots that represented our agents, and I’d imagine it was a plague spreading through all of creation.  No one even knew about it, and even if they did, no one could stop it.  And what I liked the most was that I was a part of it.“

She clenched her fists as she looked at the star-field.  "Luffa… she was as much a part of that plague as I was, but she took that power and tore it down in a matter of days!  Days!  She _eradicated_ the Black Water Mist like it was nothing, and all it did was make her hungry!  Later, she apologized for not doing it sooner!”

She turned and faced Keda.  "That was when I realized she was _xan'nil-Dor_ , Keda.  The 'why we survive’.  She’s part of the higher cause all Dorluns live for.  For the good of the universe, we have to help her.“

"It’s not your call to make,” Keda said.  "You can’t just decide your alien girlfriend’s a _xan'nil-Dor_ for crying out loud.  I’m only twelve and I know that much.  You need–“

"I know!” Zatte said.  "I should take it to a council of elders, present a formal argument, and let them decide whether my claim is legitimate.  And it’s not like we’re talking about a planet, or a scientific mission.  Whenever the _xan'nil-Dor_ is a person they’d want an in-person interview, and that would go over _so_ well with her.“

"She hates that kind of talk,” Keda said.  "Lots of people already think she’s some kind of angel or demigoddess, or a cosmic entity.  It ticks her off.“

"Keda, it doesn’t matter whether she likes it or not.  It doesn’t matter that there are no other Dorluns I can take this to.  I know what I saw.”  Zatte paced around aimlessly for a moment, then dropped into one of the chairs at the forward stations.  "Do you think I _want_ to wander into a battlefield on a planet I’ve never seen before?   I _have_ to do this.  She’s a _xan'nil-Dor_ , and if I don’t go help her then my life isn’t worth much at all.“

"Help her?!” Keda asked.  "She’s a _Super Saiyan_ , Zatte.  She’s invincible!“

"That’s _their_ legend, kid,” Zatte said.  "You remember _ours_ , don’t you?  The immortal Dorlun?  And what happened to him?“

Keda rolled her eyes.  "Come on…”

“What _happened_ to him, Keda?  You know the story.”

She threw back her head and made a weary sigh. “Ugh.  He fell down a well and he’s still there to this day,” she said.  

“Safe and sound, for all the good it does him,” Zatte said.  "Maybe she really is invincible, but that doesn’t mean she couldn’t use a hand once in a while.  You saved her once, from what I hear.“  

"That was…” Keda shook her head and started waving her hands.  "That’s not how it happened.   I needed her help just as much–“

"She really looks up to you, you know,” Zatte said.  

“Oh, now you’re just teasing me,” Keda said.  

“It’s true,” Zatte said with a smile.  "She doesn’t like to talk about it because she’s embarrassed that she needed help from a little kid.  But I think she wishes she could have been in your shoes, helping someone much, much stronger face impossible odds.“

"Well, I’d rather be the invincible one on the team,” Keda said.   “So I guess we’re even.”

“Look, Keda, you don’t have to come along.  You can go with the doctor and see him back home like Luffa wanted.  I understand why you’d want to honor her request,” Zatte said.  She swung the chair around to face the computer terminal and began typing in course commands.  "But I need the ship.  I’ll take it through the wormhole to Wist, but I’ll probably have to bring it back the long way.  Luffa wouldn’t want to expose the fairies who live in the wormhole to her energy.“

"I won’t let you do that, Zatte,” Keda said firmly.  

She paused and looked up at the girl.  "Won’t _let_ me?“ Zatte asked.

"You want to put yourself in harm’s way, all on some vague hunch,” Keda said.  "Maybe it makes perfect sense to you, but you’re the only other Dorlun I’ve found so far, and I need you.  Luffa might enjoy having you join her in battle, but she told you to stay here, and she’s the boss.“

Zatte swung the chair around and listed to one side as she listened to Keda.  "The boss, huh?”

“This is her ship,” Keda said, “and when she’s not around, I’m in charge.”

“Swell,” Zatte said.  She turned back to the station and resumed her work.  

Keda watched her angrily for a moment, then looked up at nothing in particular.  "Computer,“ she called out.  "Lock out all command functions, voice-authorization: Keda-115-Phi-763.”

Zatte ignored this until the displays on her station stopped responding.  Red text appeared on the screen, informing her that her access had been denied.  She looked back to Keda impatiently.

“Kid,” she said, “You’re really starting to tick me off…”

“I’m serious, Zatte,” Keda said.  "You can beat me up if you want, but I won’t release navigation to you.  We’re going to do what Luffa asked, and that’s that.“

"I don’t want to fight you, Keda,” Zatte said.  "If I had access to another ship, I’d use it, but I need–“

Keda crossed her arms.  "I said no.”

Zatte put her elbow on the armrest of her chair and rested her head in her palm as she regarded the child.  "I think I see why Luffa appreciates you so much,“ she said.  "I’m sorry it has to come to this.”  

Before Keda could ask what she meant, Zatte put her hand on the computer panel and cleared her throat to speak.  "Computer, execute program Zatte One.“

The panel flickered as new displays appeared, and then a line of text appeared which read "Handprint authorization confirmed.  Access granted.”

“Wh- _what_?” Keda gasped.  She ran over to the nearest terminal and tried to undo Zatte’s last command, but the computer refused to accept her instructions.  "What the hell did you _do_?“ she asked.

"Language,” Zatte muttered.  "I figured your shape-shifting powers might help you imitate my voice, maybe enough to fool the computer, so I added a handprint authorization to go with it.  You might be able to imitate my fingerprints, but not if I use my energy manipulating abilities to modify the image slightly.  Of course, you’re probably clever enough to find a way around that too, I guess, but I’m betting it’ll take you a while.“

Keda started checking every terminal on the bridge, and began pulling her hair out of the bun it was in.  "How…?  When did you do all of this?” she asked furiously.  

“When I first came on board,” Zatte said.  "The Makyans sent me here to kidnap Luffa, remember?  My plan worked perfectly, but I hacked the ship’s computer just in case you got suspicious and tried to stop me.  I probably would have removed the program eventually, but I never got around to it.  Feels kind of embarrassing to use it now, but what can I do?“

Keda kicked one of the workstations in frustration.  

"I meant what I said,” Zatte told her.  "I won’t force any of you into this, and I’ll go alone if I have to, but I _will_ be going.“  She turned from the station and looked at her with an earnest expression.  "I know it’s crummy of me to ask, but I wish you’d come along.  You’re the only other Dorlun I have, and I need you.”

Keda ran her hands over her face and took a few deep breaths.  "I guess I should stay with the ship,“ she finally said.   "You’d better be right about this, Zatte.”

*******

* * *

_**[17 May 236 Before Age.  Planet Wist.]** _

Normally, it would have been difficult for them to move so freely across the skies of Planet Wist, but with Luffa on the warpath, much of the Shockmaster’s military might was either demolished or otherwise engaged.  Suddenly, the trio of Ensign Liberty, Scotch Woodcock, and Tobiko were very low on the priorities list.  If anyone below even noticed their movements, they did nothing to react.

“Bloody hell,” Woodcock grumbled as he looked over the site of a recent battle.  "Bird’s only been here a few hours, right?    Looks like a damn _army_ of Saiyans came through here.“

"She’s intense,” M’ranga said.  "When I met her before, she was holding back her power.  Even then, all she wanted to do was fight, even if it was just sparring with me.  Well, she’s not holding back anymore, and if we don’t put the Shockmaster down while we have the chance, there may not be a planet left to save!“

They flew in a V formation, with M’ranga in the lead, holding a small copper nugget in front of her like a compass.

"Arrrre you surrrre we’re going the rrrriiight waayyyy?” Tobiko asked.

“If this enchanted stone works like it’s supposed to,” M’ranga said, “we should be on the right track.  I’m just worried we won’t make it in time.”

“What _is_ this Shockmaster guy anyway?” Woodcock asked Tobiko.  "Y’said you’re about as old as he is, right?  Two o’ ya were mates back in the day?“

"It’s nooooot thaaaat simmmmple,” Tobiko explained.  "Youuuu seeeee–“

He paused for a moment, then raised his hands over his throat and chanted something quite unpronounceable.  When he spoke again, he sounded like a completely different person.

"Ah, much better.  Excuse me, friends,” he said.  "I’ve lived alone in the marshes for many long ages.  I’m not used to speaking this much, and I know my normal voice can be… tiresome after a time.“

Woodcock stared at him in disbelief, the he reached into the pocket of his leather pants and withdrew a hip flask.  He took a swig and shook his head.  "Wish you’da done that a long time ago…”

“The loquacion spell lasts for but a short time,” Tobiko said, “yet it will suffice for me to tell the story.”

He cleared his throat and began: “The Ancient Wist once dominated this region of the universe.  Their powers and technology were formidable, and their culture was among the finest in the galaxy.    Order was preserved not through mere soldiers or arms, but by a great council of wise elders.  I was once a member of that august body, before I became the repugnant creature you see today.”

“You’re a brave man trying to help his people, Tobiko,” M’ranga said.  "I find nothing repugnant about that.“

"Erm, yes, well, be that as it may,” Tobiko continued, “I did not always look like this.  Before I was condemned to exile, I resembled the people of Wist as they are today.  I was considered quite handsome in my youth, for what it’s worth–”

“You’re fighting for a noble cause,” M’ranga insisted.  "That’s the inner beauty that counts, mister.“

"You think so…?” Tobiko asked.  "The Elders banished me for speaking out against certain military expansions, and they cursed me to inhabit this amphibian form specifically because it was hideous and unseemly.“

"I’ve been to many different planets in my time,” M’ranga said.  "And in my experience, there is no absolute standard of attractiveness, save for the quality of a person’s character–“

"Beerus Priest, will ya let him _finish the fraggin’ story already_?!” Woodcock groaned.

“Sorry,” M’ranga said.

“Yes, er, as I was saying,” Tobiko said, “the fact of the matter is that the Shockmaster was sealed away long before I was born.  He was one of the great heroes of his age, a staunch defender of the principles my people once cherished.  But like me, he fell out of favor with the Council.  However, his distinguished career earned him clemency.  Instead of being cursed to a long life of isolation, he was placed in a kind of stasis, so that he could be summoned once more if his heroism was ever needed in the future.”

“He seems to have an odd definition of heroism,” M’ranga said.

“A matter of perspective, I should imagine,” Tobiko said.  "I have wandered the marshes of my world for many thousands of years, and yet the Shockmaster’s era was ancient to me when I was a boy.  Times have changed, and mayhap the world he seeks to preserve no longer exists.   Perhaps it never existed at all.  I wonder–“

"There!” M’ranga called out.  She signaled to the others to come to a stop, and she pointed to the ground.

“Found him, eh?” Woodcock asked.  They had traveled to the remote highlands of one of the planet’s northernmost islands.  There was still green vegetation below them, but the harsh winds and rocky outcroppings would support little else beside grass and lichens.

“The faerie stone is enchanted to lead me in the direction of the Shockmaster,” M’ranga said.  "And right now it’s tugging me straight down.“

Woodcock looked around and tipped the brim of his black hat, revealing his third eye.  "Yeah, I see him now.  There’s a buncha cairns down there.  He’s standin’ in the middle of ’em.  Still can’t sense his power.  Like he dropped dead or something.”

“It’s the Reverie,” Tobiko said.  "The ancients used an intense meditative state for profound contemplation.  It is said that the greatest adepts could commune with spirits in the hereafter.  But to attain such a state places the body in a sort of paralysis.  He has no awareness of his surroundings, nor can he interact with the physical world.“

"That’s why he came here,” M’ranga said.  "He knew he’d be vulnerable, so he picked a secluded place far away from anyone who might stumble across him.  He wasn’t expecting us to be able to track him down.“

They floated to the ground only a few feet away from the Shockmaster.  As Woodcock had said, he seemed to be standing perfectly still, as though waiting for them to arrive.  Cautiously, they circled around him, half-expecting him to come to life.

"Don’t feel right, kickin’ him when he’s down like this,” Woodcock said.  

“I’m not interested in a fair fight,” M'ranga said.  "This may be our only chance to defeat him and free this planet, and I’m taking it.“  With that, she drew a plasma pistol from her belt and opened fire.  The beams of green energy struck the Shockmaster’s massive chest…

…And passed through him, emerging from his back.  

"Tobiko?” M'ranga called warily.  

“Astounding,” Tobiko said.  "His mastery of the technique is far greater than I could have imagined.   So deep is his meditation that his material form has left the physical plane altogether.“

Woodcock walked up to the Shockmaster and reached out to touch him.  His hand passed through the Shockmaster’s body as if it were not even there.  "Like a damn hologram,” Woodcock muttered.  He pointed at his third eye.  "Only I can tell the difference, and this here looks like the real thing.“

"Now what?” M'ranga asked.  "We can’t touch him until he snaps out of this trance, and by then it’ll be too late!“

"Do not abandon hope,” Tobiko said.  He raised his hands and made strange gestures with his webbed fingers.  "Perhaps a spell of containment may succeed where your weapons will not…“

They watched him for several minutes, though neither Woodcock nor M'ranga understood what he was doing or how he was doing it.  It looked very much like the grotesque sorceror was weaving invisible threads on an imaginary loom.  Just when it seemed he was finished, he circled around to perform a similar series of gestures from a different position.  

"How long’s this gonna take, anyhow?” Woodcock asked pointedly.

“My charms must be thorough to contain a being of his might,” Tobiko replied.  

“And if he snaps out of it before you’re finished?” M'ranga asked.  

“That would be… unfortunate,” Tobiko said.  

**NEXT: Unfortunately…**


	47. Chapter 47

_**[17 May 236 Before Age.  Wist.]** _

“How do you think this is gonna end, Kandai?” Luffa asked.  She grabbed him by the throat with her right hand and drew back her left to throw a punch.  Her whole body was aglow with golden energy, but her fist began to look even brighter than the rest of her.   “You think I’ll just let you go?!”

“Then kill me!” Kandai gasped.  "What’s stopping you?“

She’d been waiting for this moment for years.  After all he had done, she finally had him where she wanted him, and it was just too damned easy.  Worse, he had picked up on her hesitation, and he was mocking her for it.  She wasn’t sure if this was defiance or desperation, but it only made her angrier that she couldn’t get any satisfaction from this.  

A single punch, and it would be all over.  It wouldn’t even take that much.  A flick of one finger would do it.  He was like Severny, that crippled mutant she faced on Festid V, or the faeries who lived in the wormhole that had brought her here.  But Kandai was different.  He was her estranged husband and her enemy and a Saiyan warrior.  She needed more from his death, and she simply wouldn’t get it.  

And then she felt it, an enormous power in the northeast.  One moment it hadn’t been there, and in the next it _was_.  Without realizing it, she had looked away from Kandai and into the horizon, as if hoping to see it with her eyes.

"What the hell is _that_?”  Luffa asked.  

Kandai had sensed it too, but he didn’t seem altogether relieved.  She released him, and he collapsed at her feet.  

“I get it now,” she said, pointing her thumb in the direction of the power she had sensed.  "You’ve been playing for time all along.  Waiting for _that_ to come to your rescue.“

"Impressive, isn’t he?” Kandai said as he massaged his throat.  "He’s the reason I came here, yes, but I’ve just about given up on him protecting me.  I warned him you’d be coming, and he went off into the highlands to meditate like some senile old monk.“

"That’s M'ranga he’s fighting,” Luffa said.  

“He’s been ignoring those three for a while too,” Kandai said.  "Maybe he’s finally decided to take matters into his own hands.  Only he doesn’t seem very interested in _you_ , does he?“

"Maybe he’s _smart_ ,” Luffa said with a snort.

“ _Maybe_ he just doesn’t see you as a threat,” Kandai shot back.

“You think _he_ can beat _me_?” Luffa asked with a laugh.

“He doesn’t have to, now does he?” Kandai asked.  "Yeah, maybe I’ve finally figured him out.  He knew _you_ were only interested in me, and _he_ only seems to be interested in conquering Extraliga.  So he’s giving you a wide berth and hopes you’ll do the same.  You’ll finish me off and be on your way.   A little cowardly, but sensible.“

"It won’t work, Kandai,” Luffa muttered.  "Your little distraction isn’t going to stop me from wringing your traitorous neck!“

But she wasn’t even looking at him anymore.  She had turned to face the source of the power, almost admiring it from afar.

*******

* * *

It happened so suddenly.  One minute the Shockmaster had been completely inert and motionless.  Tobiko was weaving his containment spell to keep him that way, and it looked as though he would succeed.  

Then suddenly he was _awake_.  The massive silver helmet that covered his entire head tilted up slightly, and he swung out his arms, unleashing torrents of lightning from his fingertips.  In an instant, Tobiko’s sorcerous bonds were ripped too shreds, and the Shockmaster wasted no time taking the offensive.  

M'ranga, the alien freedom fighter known as Ensign Liberty, had already fought the Shockmaster once before, although she hardly considered their brief encounter much of a fight.  She was no match for his immense strength, but at least this time she knew it.  As the Shockmaster charged towards her she leaped towards him, planting her hands on his shoulders and vaulting over him to avoid his attack.  She drew her pistol, hoping to press her brief advantage, but in the time it took her to raise the weapon to fire, he had already turned around and was looming over her, his hands raised over his head.  

M'ranga opened fire, figuring she couldn’t miss at this range, but the bolts of plasma simply splashed across his skin like a stream of water.  If he was hurt by this, he didn’t show it.  He grabbed her shoulder and one of her legs and raised her overhead.  

Before she could find out what he planned to do with her, he stumbled as Scotch Woodcock joined the battle.  He wasn’t really sure what the old Cyclopian was truly capable of, but somehow he had managed to stagger the Shockmaster, if only long enough to make him lose interest in her.  He tossed the young woman aside, and turned to face the man in black leather.  

"Didn’t like _that one_ , did ya?” he grumbled.  "Have another.“

His hands were raised over his face, palms facing outward, with the  thumbs and index fingers touching to make a sort of diamond shape.  The Shockmaster moved towards him, but this time he raised his arms to protect himself, and Woodcock fired again.  Now that M'ranga could see the attack, she was astonished by how much power he was generating.  It was enough to make her wonder if the technique was even safe, but she couldn’t stop to worry about that now.  

With the Shockmaster briefly occupied, she ran to Tobiko, who had been knocked onto his back when his spells were broken.  He appeared to be unhurt, and so she tried to help him up as gently as she could under the circumstances.  

"Tobiko, we have to get out of here!” M'ranga said hurriedly.  "You can teleport us back to your lair!  It’s our only chance!“

"A moooooomeeeent,” he said wearily.  "I muuuuust recooooverrrr from the shooooock… It woulllld be daaaangerrrous to attempt…“

She looked up and found Woodcock had already fallen back.  Either his _ki_ blast was exhausted or he had decided it wasn’t worth the effort.  Now, the old man was doing his best to dodge the Shockmaster’s attacks.  To his credit, he was landing a few blows of his own, but these seemed to be designed to goad his opponent rather than to defeat him.  

"We don’t _have_ a–” M'ranga began to say, but she knew it was useless to argue.  Tobiko knew his craft, and he wouldn’t ask for a breather unless it were absolutely necessary.  She simply had to buy him more time.  

“I’ll hold him off as long as I can,” she said.

*******

“We’ve both been around aliens too long.  I know how it feels,” Kandai said.  "He’s had me pushing papers and putting down a few malcontents.  I haven’t had a real fight in ages.  And neither have you.“

Luffa wasn’t sure how long she had been looking into the distance.  Long enough that Kandai had gotten to his feet and approached her from behind.  

"I get _plenty_ of action, Kandai,” Luffa said.  

“Is that what you tell that Dorlun girl you’re with?” Kandai asked.  “When you get edgy and restless, and you can’t lie still in bed, do you tell her it’s just nerves?”

“Leave her out of this…”

“You keep curling the end of your tail, Luffa,” he said.  "She doesn’t even know what that means, does she?  Maybe she’s never seen you this way.  It’s not like you’ve had a lot of worthy opponents lately.“

"Don’t touch me…”

“You can’t fool another Saiyan, Luffa,” Kandai said as he put his arm around her ribs.  "He’ll kill those three idiots out there.  You know that, right?  If you want to save them, you’ll have to move quickly.“

"Fat chance,” Luffa snarled.  

“Right, right.  You don’t care what happens to _them_.  But when he’s finished with them, he’ll probably just go right back to his meditation, and you might not be able to find him next time.”

“I.  Don’t.   _Care_ ,” Luffa lied.  

“I know.  You’re here for _revenge_.  It’s a rare opportunity to test your mettle, but you don’t want to give me a chance to run for it while you fight him.  Well that’s easy, right?  Just kill me right now, and you can do as you please.”

She began to make a low growling noise and balled her fists.  

“You’re a _Super_ Saiyan now,” Kandai gloated.  "Oh, I love to fight, and so does every other Saiyan, but _you’re_ on a whole other level.  I think you always have been.  You _want_ to risk it all.  You were actually _happy_ fighting a hopeless battle against the Tikosi, where most Saiyans would have run away to find a sure victory and a higher profit margin.“

He was whispering in her ear.   She thought she felt his lower lip brush against her earlobe, but she was too preoccupied to be sure.   In spite of how much she despised him, she was smiling now.  

"You _can’t_ pass this up, can you?  You want to test yourself against him, and you want me to _see it_ , so that I’ll know I never stood a chance.”

“Yes,” Luffa finally said.   “Damn it all…”

She raised her fists and cried out as she threw them back down again, expanding her aura as she tapped into the wellspring of her power.  Kandai was knocked away from her and he tumbled to the ground like a discarded bottle.  

“You always knew how to play me like a fiddle, Kandai,” she said, casting a backward glance at him.  "You’re a coward and a weakling, but you’re no dummy, so I guess that earns you a reprieve.  See you soon.“

And with that, she rocketed off into the sky.

*******

* * *

"As long as I can” turned out to be “not long enough.”  Even working together, M'ranga and Woodcock had only managed to prolong their defeat.  Presently, M'ranga found herself hurtling through the air uncontrollably.  Then, without warning, she stopped.  

“Having trouble?” Luffa asked.  She was now holding M'ranga by the arm.  

“You have to help them!” M'ranga pleaded.  "They’re no match for–“

Luffa was already flying back the way M'ranga had come.  Before she could finish her thought, the Saiyan had already dumped her back on the battlefield.  

The Shockmaster had been pummeling Woodcock until she arrived.  He turned towards her and raised his fist to attack.  

” _Watch out!_ “ M'ranga screamed, but Luffa stood her ground and planted her hands on her hips, as if looking forward to what came next.  

"What was it you called him, Ensign?” Luffa asked.   “Oh yeah…”

His knuckles slammed into her abdomen, and the impact made a noise that reminded M'ranga of a cannon firing.  

Luffa didn’t budge.  

“The _Shockmaste_ r,” she said, as if the punch had been a minor interruption.  

Behind her, Woodcock had slowly gotten to his feet.  "How in the hell–?“ he asked in astonishment.  

Luffa gave no explanation, and she merely held up her fists and grinned excitedly.  Her aura began to grow, seemingly daring her opponent to try again.  

Undaunted, the Shockmaster followed up with a kick.  This time, he put more energy into the attack, and when it connected, Luffa went flying backward.  

"Aw, never mind then,” Woodcock grumbled.  

********

* * *

From that single strike, Luffa could tell that the Shockmaster was far stronger than any opponent she had ever faced.  She didn’t quite have his measure, but she knew for certain she would lose if she held back.  

She hadn’t hurt like this in a long time. It was something of a struggle to right herself and reverse her trajectory.  And this was only the beginning.  She could count on even heavier strikes once the Shockmaster realized she wouldn’t back down.  

And as Luffa contemplated all of this, as she summoned her _ki_ to force her body to fly back the way it had come, only one word ran through her mind.  

“ _Finally_.”

When she reached him, he had turned to face Woodcock, and so she slammed into his back with enough force to shatter a mountain.  The Shockmaster fell and skidded into the ground.

“Get out of here,” Luffa said to the old man.  

“Like hell!” Woodcock protested.  "S'gonna take all of us to beat that wanker–“

"He’s _all mine_ ,” Luffa snarled.  She raised her hands and began cracking her knuckles in anticipation.  

“Babe, I’ve seen what you got,” Woodcock wheezed.  He pointed at his third eye, but Luffa wasn’t even looking at him anymore.  "It ain’t even _close_ to–“

” _Look again_ ,“ Luffa muttered.  Before he could ask why, she screamed.  The sudden burst of power from her body cratered the ground around her and sent Woodcock tumbling away.  

*******

Beaten though he was, Kandai still had enough power to fly to the nearest inhabited area, which was a small town twenty miles from his encounter with Luffa.  There, he found a tavern where he was able to get in contact with the Wistian military.  As he waited on hold, he wolfed down an entire pot roast he had confiscated from the kitchen.  

He still couldn’t believe he had survived, but it wasn’t over yet.    He could sense that Luffa and the Shockmaster were fighting, but as strong as they were, he couldn’t be sure which of them would prevail.  Their powers were simply too far beyond his ability to compare.  With any luck, they would spend some time testing one another, and the fight would last long enough for him to find a spaceship and escape the planet.  

The worst case scenario was that Luffa would win, and he would be right back where he started, using the vastness of space to stay one step ahead of her.  But if she _lost_ , then he would finally be free, and the mere possibility was enough to fill him with something he vaguely recognized as joy.  

Then the lieutenant on the other end of the line got back to him, and his euphoria turned to dread.  "What do you _mean_ , no ships available?” he shouted.  

“Sir, the hostile has been hitting every spaceport and landing platform since the attack began,” the lieutenant explained.  He was  trying to keep an even tone, but Kandai could hear the indignant subtext in the officer’s voice:  _If you had been at your post during the invasion, you would have already known about this._  

He sunk into his chair and removed the earpiece from his head. A moment later, it fell out of his limp hand.  Luffa had planned this from the start.  No matter what, he was trapped on this world, forced to see things to the bitter end.

He looked down at his empty plate and summoned the innkeeper for another helping.  Whatever happened next, there would be no hurry.

*******

* * *

By now the Shockmaster had gotten back to his feet, but instead of attacking, he stood his ground and watched.  Woodcock moved to what could laughably be called a “safe distance” and tried to make sense of what was happening.  He used his mystic third eye to seek out any unique insights, but his ordinary ears told most of the story.  

At first, Luffa’s voice seemed like the wail of a creature on the brink of death or madness.  She had pushed herself too far and now her body was coming undone, or so it sounded.  Only she didn’t come undone.   She simply grew stronger and stronger, and she continued to scream, as though demanding more, ever more.  

And then Woodcock guessed at the truth, that this was no cry of torment or a demand for greater power.  Luffa’s scream was one of _release_.   M'ranga had said that Luffa had been holding back her power for some time.  She had been holding all of _this_ back.  As horrifying at it was to see it unleashed, what truly sent a chill down Woodcock’s spine was the idea of a small young woman stuffing it all back inside of herself, holding it deep in her heart and forcing it to behave while she masqueraded as a ‘normal’ Saiyan.  Now the masquerade was over, and she was free to express the power without caution or restraint of any kind.  

As Scotch Woodcock realized all of this, part of him wished that he was a quadrillion miles away.  At the same time, another part of him couldn’t help but admire what he was seeing, and he quietly regretted that he wasn’t fifty years younger.  

Whatever happened next, whether he lived to tell about it or not, he reckoned that this would be the greatest battle ever fought in this era.  He relaxed a little, and reached for his hip flask as he resigned himself to his fate.  It would be a hell of a story to tell his mates someday, or it’d be a fitting sendoff to a lifetime of mayhem.

“Rip 'im in half, girl,” he muttered under his breath as he raised his flask in a half-serious toast.  

And then everything around him vanished, and he found himself in a familiar enclosure lined with seaweed and peat.  He spun around and found M'ranga and Tobiko looking at him.  The wizard had finally gathered his wits and teleported them all back to his lair.  

“What the hell?” he shouted.  "They were just about to really go at it!“

"Do you want to go back?” M'ranga asked.

He opened his mouth, but said nothing, and then he took a drink from his flask. “Nah,” he finally said.  "Not much good we can do, is there?“

"It is far too late to prevent their battle,” Tobiko said.  "An unforrrrtunate turn of events, however we might stilllll be aaaaaabble to turn this to our advantage.“

"Tobiko, your voice–” M'ranga said.  

“The spell is wearrrring oooofff,” Tobiko explained.  "Listen carrrrefulllly, for this is what me musssst do…“

*******

Among the cairns that littered the highlands, Luffa and the Shockmaster stared each other down.  Stormclouds had gathered overhead, and lightning flashed between them.  

_**"SO YOU’RE THE WOMAN THAT WANTS TO DESTROY THE WORLD?  THEY CALL ME… THE SHOCKMASTER!”** _

“I’ve heard,” Luffa said with a cocky smile.  "Thought you were all hype, but you’re not just some big brute, are you?  You were waiting to see how much I could power up.  I think you’re looking forward to this as much as I am.“

_**"GET READY!  COME ON, YOU WANT A PIECE OF ME?  YOU WANT A PIECE OF ME?  COME GET ME!  COME AFTER ME, LUFFA!  I’M READY!”** _

“You know just what to say to a lady, I’ll give you that.”  

She closed the distance between them in a fraction of a second, and drove her elbow into his massive gut.   She had no idea how strong she was now.  There was no frame of reference until today.  The only thing remotely similar was Hamey, the Heran wizard she had overwhelmed on Planet Bigreen.  An attack like this would have killed him instantly.  

The Shockmaster was completely unhurt.  

She planned to follow through by using the elbow strike as a diversion, circling around and kicking the back of his knee, but there was simply no opening to do this.  Before she could even move, he had brought down one of his massive arms, and punched her in the side of the head.  Luffa stumbled, and instinctively raised her arms over her face to guard.  

For a moment, all she could think about was her father.  In her youth, she was a weakling among Saiyans, and her father could strike her with such speed and ferocity that she couldn’t even see him move.  The left side of her face began to swell up, and for the first time she began to wonder if she was outmatched.  

She backed away and leaped into the air.  This was a basic defensive tactic.  It put distance between oneself and the enemy, and it forced the opponent to demonstrate core abilities.  She hadn’t seen the Shockmaster fly yet, and while it was reasonable to assume that he could, she wanted to gauge his speed and maneuverability.  If he refused to cooperate, she could take potshots at him from the air, and force him to go airborne.  

But then the Shockmaster was gone, and she didn’t realize where he had moved to until she felt his fist closing around her tail.  Before she could react, he had swung her around and slammed her face first into the ground below.  

And so the opening moments of their battle had gone very poorly for her.  Luffa pushed herself off the dirt and wiped a trickle of blood from her lip, and curled her tail to shake off the discomfort of having it handled so roughly.  She was beginning to appreciate the lack of spectators.  Even without anyone around to see, she was beginning to feel a little embarrassed.

But the cocky smile never left her face.  

**NEXT: Fighting Spirit**


	48. Chapter 48

_**[17 May 236 Before Age.  Planet Wist.]** _

Luffa was a Saiyan woman, twenty-one years of age.  Like all pure-blooded Saiyans, she had  a prehensile tail covered in brown fur, and dark hair that never grew beyond a certain length.  Her own hair was short, barely reaching the back of her neck.  Her eyes were dark brown, and her skin was beige.   She was sixty-three inches tall, and wore loose yellow pants and a black sleeveless shirt, with matching combat boots and fingerless gloves.  

When Luffa was nineteen, she experienced a radical transformation, becoming a Super Saiyan.  Though nearly all Saiyans possessed phenomenal strength compared to typical humanoids, Luffa found she could tap into even greater powers.  Unleashing these abilities somehow caused all the hair on her body to glow bright yellow, and her eyes to turn bright green.  Since discovering this form, Luffa had quickly established herself as the dominant warrior in the galaxy.  

Her one weakness, it seemed, was that her transformation had enhanced her lust for combat along with her physical power.  Luffa’s greatest enemy was boredom.  She longed for battles worthy of her might, and when she couldn’t find them, she settled for whatever action she could find.  The great irony of this was that this ultimate warrior had become a galactic peacemaker, simply because she had no better option than to declare war on war itself.

But now that had all changed, for Luffa had found a worthy adversary on the far edge of the galaxy.  Here, on the Planet Wist, the Shockmaster stood against her.  He was a foot taller than she, and nearly three times as massive.  On his shoulders was a sleeveless black jacket, and his head was concealed beneath a bizarre silver helmet, which obscured his face with a mask-like caricature of a humanoid countenance.  The Shockmaster had his own agenda for the galaxy, and it put himself and Luffa at cross-purposes.  She had come to Wist and confronted him.  

So far, he appeared to be winning.  

“You’ve lost the war, you know,” Luffa said as they faced each other.  "You and I can fight all afternoon, but your days of invading Federation member-worlds are done.“

None of this particularly mattered to Luffa.  She had pledged herself to defend the Federation, an interstellar alliance she herself had founded, and she took some satisfaction in the work, but she intended to fight the Shockmaster regardless of the strategic benefits.  Still, she hoped that the outcome of the war mattered to _him_.  She wanted to rattle his cage.  Maybe she could goad him into making a mistake, or revealing a weakness or two.  

She began to step to the side, moving around him in a wide arc.  "The occupation forces you sent to Extraliga are finished.  You won’t get them back, and if you had any more of them lying around, we’ll know how to fight them next time.”

He simply stood his ground and watched her.  At least, she assumed that he could actually _see_ out of that thing on his head.  There were large lens-shaped features on the face of the helmet, but they were the same opaque silver material as the rest of it.  Nevertheless, he turned his head as she moved.  

“That wormhole you used to get to Extraliga is off-limits, too,” she went on.  "Nice little shortcut, but the faeries who live there are free now, and we’ve sealed it off from normal space.  You could always take the long way, but from what I gather, that’s a trans-galactic trip.  It’d take about six weeks for a decent fleet of ships.“

No response.  Luffa felt a bead of sweat running down the side of her face.  She ignored it and continued.  

"Of course, you could just hire mercenaries to assemble a fleet in that part of the galaxy,” she suggested.  "Oh wait, you already tried that trick.   Nice while it lasted.  My guys were confused for a while.  Couldn’t figure out where the invasion was coming from until we captured a few and interrogated the crews.“

The Shockmaster began rubbing his hands together in what might be interpreted as eager anticipation.

"Oh, and I’ve been dismantling your whole planet all day today.   You won’t be raising a fleet of your own for a long time, I think.  Most of your military is dead or in hiding.  Those ‘chiefs of staff’ you had?  I’ve already killed two of them, and I’m saving a third for after I’m through with your sorry ass.”

She snapped her fingers and shook her head.  "Wait, I almost forgot.  I brought fifty Extraligan commandos with me on this trip.  Guess what they’ve been up to.  Intelligence gathering.  While I’ve been ripping this planet to shreds, they went and hijacked a spaceship and left the planet with as much intel as they could find.  Of course, it’ll take them six weeks to get back home, but the subspace radio works much faster.  They’ll be able to tell the Federation exactly where your planet is.  Maybe the _next_ invasion comes to _your_ doorstep.  What do you think of that?“

_**"I THINK YOU TALK TOO MUCH.”** _

His low, gravelly voice seemed to come from all around.  Before she could react, he was behind her, and as she turned to face him, he was already bringing his hands down to strangle her.  Luffa caught them in her own, and their fingers intertwined.  

She summoned more of her power as she leaned backward, pulling him forward.  For a brief moment, it looked as though they would push against each other in a test of strength, but Luffa didn’t want to indulge in such a straightforward display.  Better to keep the Shockmaster off balance until she had his full measure.  As he fell towards her she kicked at his left kneecap, then released his hands and rolled clear.  Once she was fairly certain he wouldn’t dodge, she raised her hands for a Galick Gun.  

But instead of firing the _ki_ blast, she held off, and waited.  He recovered from the knee strike very quickly, as though she had barely hurt him at all.  

 _ **“WHAT’S WRONG?”**_ the Shockmaster bellowed.   ** _“I THOUGHT YOU WANTED TO FIGHT!”_**

She couldn’t help but smile.  "I’m just trying to decide how to go about it.  Any suggestions?  Wait, never mind.  I’ve got it.“

She widened her stance and slowly raised her right hand, and with a flick of her wrist she brought her index and middle finger straight up.  In the same instant, an explosion erupted from the ground all around the Shockmaster, leaving him nowhere to go.

When the dust settled, he seemed shaken, but unhurt.  Luffa repeated the attack.  Then she did it again.  And again.  

 _ **"ENOUGH!”**_ the Shockmaster shouted.  Whether the assault was finally taking a toll on him or simply trying his patience, he managed to leap into the air just as the next explosion began.  He swung out one of his hands to return fire, but Luffa was suddenly gone.  Before he could contemplate the meaning of this, her boot heel slammed into the small of his back.

Somehow, he managed to reach behind and grab her ankle just as she tried to withdraw her foot.  With a savage yank, he swung her around and brought his other fist down to strike her.  But when Luffa’s body came into view, he saw her hands raised in a now-familiar pose.  She smirked and said two words.

“Galick Gun.”

A burst of violet energy engulfed the Shockmaster at pointblank range.

She could feel him pushing back, resisting the force of the blast, but it was still shoving him away, up and into the sky.  Luffa braced herself and summoned more power to intensify the attack, slowly descending until her feet touched the ground.  

She was confident that she could send him into space with enough effort.  The cold vacuum might finish the job for her.  If it didn’t kill the Shockmaster, it might soften him up some.  Luffa hoped it was the latter.  He was too much fun to finish off so quickly.  As exhilarated as she was to have caught him in such a trap, she didn’t want to end the fight here, with such a simple finish.  The only way the Shockmaster could hope to escape the Galick Gun now was to return fire with a ki blast of comparable strength to push back in the other direction, only he didn’t dare attempt such a thing, since he might accidentally miss Luffa and end up destroying his own planet.  

Above, the Shockmaster continued to resist.  She called up more power to counter this.  It was _perfect_.  The Super Saiyan form was like a rampaging thing inside of herself, constantly screaming for release.   It was a wellspring of power, and now she could finally harness it, release it, without fear of the consequences.  

Luffa hoped her mother was watching from hell.  She wasn’t sure if she would approve of the yellow-haired monstrosity her daughter had become, but at least there would be no room to criticize Luffa’s Galick Gun technique anymore.  Briefly, she regretted not killing her father with this move.   Kandai was still roaming around the planet somewhere.  Maybe she should use it on him.  Surely he could sense what she was doing right now.  It was good that she hadn’t finished him off yet.  Even if he was marked for death, it comforted her to know that at least one other Saiyan was present to witness this display of strength.  

That made her think of Zatte, and how the Dorlun woman wouldn’t really be able to appreciate any of this.   There was something appealing about being with an alien.  The extreme cultural differences gave you a whole new perspective on your own culture.  Mundane little things like proper tail grooming and Galick Gunning your enemies into orbit took on a whole new significance. To Zatte, all this power was just insurance.  Being a Super Saiyan meant that Luffa was invincible, which afforded her the freedom to act in ways a more vulnerable person couldn’t.  

It was a very calculated outlook on life, managing risks and rewards like line items on a financial ledger.  What made it even more bizarre was that Luffa had known Zatte and other Dorluns to be capable of great bravery; they just didn’t _enjoy_ being brave, the way a Saiyan would.  Somehow, that made their courage even more admirable.  

Luffa scolded herself for letting her mind wander like this during a battle.  The mental image of Zatte triple-checking a plasma rifle was a difficult one to banish.  It was love, all right.  Luffa had been pretty sure for a while, but this settled it.  She wondered how Dorluns ever figured these things out, or any other life forms that didn’t like to fight.    

Then she was struck by lightning.  

There had been no warning.  One moment she was gradually forcing the Shockmaster out of the atmosphere, and in the next she was overcome with searing pain and convulsions.  When it was over, Luffa dropped to one knee and grabbed her shoulders.  She could already sense the Shockmaster heading back down.  Whatever had just happened, it must have been his doing.   But why hadn’t he used a technique like that earlier?  Or was it a desperation move, a last-ditch effort to save himself from suffocation?  She leaped up to her feet and did a few backflips, mostly to make sure her body still worked.  There were still a few seconds before he made it back down, and she decided to make them count…

*******

* * *

“Welcome back,” Luffa called out as the Shockmaster touched down.  "That was some technique you used.  Guess I finally struck a nerve.“

She bent her knees and raised her hands in a defensive stance.  "Ready for another round?”

He simply raised his hand and pointed all of his fingers at her.  Lightning leaped from his fingertips and arced towards her.  Luffa dodged the bolts, but only just.  

“Cute,” she said.  "It’s painful, at least when it connects, but it’ll take a lot more than that to kill me.“

 _ **"I DON’T KILL, LUFFA,”**_ The Shockmaster growled.   _ **“I WON’T SINK TO YOUR LEVEL.”**_

This genuinely confused her.  "Excuse me?“

_**"I KNOW ABOUT YOUR KIND.  THE SAIYANS.** _ **HAH.** _**REAVERS AND MERCENARIES SLAUGHTERING ANYONE FOR CASH OR THRILLS.  MUCH HAS** _ **CHANGED** _**SINCE I’VE BEEN SEALED AWAY, BUT** _ **YOUR** _**PITIFUL RACE HAS STAYED THE** _ **SAME** _**.”** _

“If it ain’t broke,” Luffa said.  "I suppose you’re going to tell me you’re some _wonderful hero_ now?  How you’re somehow above all this _petty violence_ , even though you invaded a planet that was no threat to you?“

_**"I HAVE NOTHING TO PROVE TO A MURDERER LIKE YOU.”** _

“The hell you _don’t_ ,” Luffa snarled.  She held out her hand and beckoned him to come at her.  "Let’s go, I’m not _through_ with you!“

He pounced at her, propelled by his vast energy, and she was amazed by his speed.  Was he getting faster?  She managed to block his punches as he closed in on her, but he was leaving her very little margin for error.  She began to float back in the opposite direction, giving up ground and forcing him to move forward to press his advantage.  

And then the ghosts showed up.  

” _Bleahhhh!“_ said one ghost.

” _Heh-heh-heh-heh-haha-hoo_!“ said the other ghost.  

They were white blobs of _ki_ energy given form, and while they were mostly shapeless, they bore heads and arms that resembled their creator.  She had made them while the Shockmaster was still returning from the stratosphere, and she had sent them flying off into the distance to hide until she was ready to deploy them.  Now, the Shockmaster found himself bedeviled on three fronts.  He could continue pressing the attack on Luffa herself, but doing so left him wide open to the ghosts, who flew around him in circles, taunting him with their eerie voices.  

"I know, I know,” Luffa said with a smirk.  "It’s kind of childish, but when you’re as strong as I am, even kid stuff becomes dangerous.“

With that, she avoided another punch and raised her fingers again, causing a new explosion to go off right under the Shockmaster’s position.  As he was caught up in the blast, she gestured for the ghosts to crash into him, and they exploded on contact.  Luffa came to a stop and admired the fireworks for only an instant, then charged headlong into it, delivering a flurry of punches to the Shockmaster’s gut.  

She started to laugh with joy.  Then he grabbed her by the hair and smashed his knee into her face.  Before she could retaliate, he slammed her face-first into the ground.  

She was still laughing as she rolled over and rose to her feet.  

"You’re amazing!” she howled.  "If I had pulled that stunt on anyone else, they’d be dead!  You might even survive the–whulp!“

He grabbed her by the collar of her shirt and spun around, swinging her directly into the path of a third ghost that had been coming at him from behind.  She had hoped to distract him, but the first two ghosts had put him on his guard.  The third one wailed like a banshee as it tried to slow its approach, but it was too late.  Luffa’s knee scraped its ephemeral surface, and this was more than enough to make the ghost explode in her face.  

When the dust settled, Luffa wasn’t laughing anymore.  

"Do that _one more time_!” she growled.  "Grab me _one more time_ and swing me around like a damn sack of flour!  Come on!   _Come on_!  Do it!“

She rushed the Shockmaster, who readied himself, but instead of attacking, she vanished, and reappeared to his left.  She seemed to throw a kick, but deliberately missed and lunged for his right leg instead.  Then she hauled him into the air and began swinging him around like a throwing hammer.  

"You like _that_?  Huh?!” she yelled.  "Well how about _this_?!“

She swung him over her head and brought him crashing to the ground, and then she followed him, driving her knees into his back.  

"That’s what I _thought_ , you bloated _jackass_!” she shouted.   “I oughta–”

She had reached down to take hold of his helmet, hoping to yank it off of his head, but in the instant she touched it, she was overcome by another electrical jolt that knocked her away.  

“Oh… you’re _good_ ,” Luffa muttered.  She was livid, but she began taking deep breaths to calm down.  "I haven’t had to work this hard in a while.“

He was already back on his feet.  By now, Luffa was beginning to notice that nothing she had done had really seemed to hurt him.  Before, she had been too busy savoring the experience to care.  The greater his endurance, the more fun she could have fighting him, after all.  Only it had been several minutes, and that was enough to make her suspect he was trying to drag this out on purpose.  She summoned more power from within herself and made plans for another attack.  

In a flash, she was high above him, with her hand raised just above and to the side of her head.  She swung her arm out and cast a burst of light from her index and middle fingers, and sent it straight after the Shockmaster.  Without waiting for it to connect, she circled around, waiting for an opening to tackle him if he managed to avoid the blast.  

Instead, the Shockmaster simply stared up at her and waited for the blast to hit him.  Now Luffa was becoming flustered.  Surely he hadn’t been toying with her this entire time!  He couldn’t _possibly_ be strong enough to–!

And then suddenly he was right in front of her, throwing punches in rapid succession.  Luffa managed to block or avoid them, except for the very last one, which landed right in her abdomen.  Luffa found herself unable to breathe for a moment, and the Shockmaster followed up with a kick that sent her slamming into the ground like a pile of bricks.  

She pulled herself together quickly, though not was quickly as she would have preferred.  The reality of her situation had begun to sink in.  She had underestimated the Shockmaster, and he had been holding back for most of the fight.  Maybe he was _still_ holding back.  She had to put him on the defensive, and she had to do it now.  

Luffa balled her fists and summoned more power.  The Shockmaster was looming over her again, and he landed another one of his electrical jolt attacks.  It sent her flying backward, but she managed to snap out of it.  

Luffa summoned more of her power.  This time the Shockmaster launched himself at her and delivered a flying dropkick.  She avoided this, but not the chop to her back that he followed up with.  The smell of highland grass in her face was becoming all too familiar.  

Luffa summoned more of her power.  The Shockmaster didn’t even come at her this time.  He simply raised his own _ki_ and released it in an explosion effect that radiated in all directions.  Luffa couldn’t avoid it, so she didn’t bother trying.  She simply crossed her arms over her face and deflected as much of it as she could.  

Luffa summoned more of her power… and then she realized that she _couldn’t_.  

It was like an ice cold knife in her back.  She had just gotten used to the idea that she could always go to the well one more time if she needed to, but now the well had run dry.  It was a level she had never even bothered to use, since there had never been any need for it.  All of a sudden, it didn’t seem so impressive.  

The Shockmaster certainly wasn’t impressed.  He reached for Luffa and grabbed her in a bearhug, pinning her arms to her sides.  She would have powered out of it, but that was going to be impossible now.  Suddenly, she was the underdog all over again.  She was eighteen years old, dreaming about strength that might as well have been impossible.  

One of her ribs buckled under the pressure, and she was twelve years old, maybe eleven, hunting dinosaurs on her own for the first time, trying to prove to her father that she was worthy of his respect, but mostly trying not to die of exposure in the middle of the wilderness.  She looked down at her predicament, searching desperately for some way out of this hold, and she happened to catch sight of her tail.  

That had been her sole hope all those years ago.  In spite of her weakness, she could look at her tail and know that she was one of the mighty Saiyans, able to stand up and face any odds with courage and pride.  It glowed bright yellow, but the truth hadn’t changed.  

She was nineteen years old, looking at a derelict statue of Chanisp on Planet Bigreen.  The image of his green eyes dared her to match his accomplishments, and she boasted that she would surpass him.  Back then, she had no idea what she had become, but in that moment of clarity, she decided that she was _the best_.  

She was in the here and now, and she would be _damned_ if the next Super Saiyan was going to remember Old Luffa getting crushed to death by some oaf in a stupid helmet.  She pulled back her head and steeled herself for what was coming next.  

The Shockmaster was stronger, but he had erred in using that strength to apply a hold.  Regardless of power, every hold had a counter, and Luffa knew at least as much about them as he did.  Optimally, the best counter to a bearhug was to attack the assailant’s abdomen, since he couldn’t use his arms to defend himself.  Luffa was pretty sure that wouldn’t work here, but there was more than one way to escape.  Some counters were more desperate than others.  

With an anguished cry, she managed to dislocate her left arm and briefly slackened the Shockmaster’s grip.  Before he could readjust, she flew up and clear of his arms, firing _ki_ blasts with her right hand all the way up.  She paused briefly to pop her left shoulder back into place, knowing that she would be vulnerable to another attack.  As expected, the Shockmaster was already above her, and he kicked her in the back to send her back down to the ground.  

It was all over.  At this rate, he would kill her.  Luffa had a few more tricks left, but at this point she was putting everything she had into narrow escapes and half-baked defenses.  Even if she could take back the initiative, she clearly lacked the power to hurt the Shockmaster.  There was nothing left to do.  

The depressing implications of _defeat_ began to run through her mind.  Left unchecked, the Shockmaster might eventually renew his invasion of Extraliga.  Kandai would escape her wrath.  Zatte would be devastated.  And there didn’t seem to be much Luffa could do about any of it.  It was real.  It was really happening, whether she wanted it or not.  

Some small part of her wanted to lay there and wait for the end.  It was inevitable, right?  Better to get it over with.  Kandai had suffered a thousand deaths in his cowardice, after all.  Zatte was a survivor, and she would move on.  The Federation might fall to the Shockmaster, but that was the march of history, wasn’t it?  She wondered if the other Super Saiyans would heckle her when she got to hell.  Maybe they’d be impressed by her efforts.  Maybe it was silly to imagine hell as some sort of private club where you hung out with famous dead people.  Maybe she was thinking about this because she’d become hysterical from her impending doom.  

She rolled onto her side and found herself in a sort of fetal position.  Her tail brushed against her leg, and she noticed it out of the corner of her eye.  

When she saw it, she clenched her teeth and forced herself to stand up.  

**NEXT: The High Road**


	49. Chapter 49

_**[17 May 236 Before Age.  Planet Wist.]** _

As soon as she stood up, the Shockmaster put her down again, driving his knee into her jaw.  Luffa skidded along the terrain, finally coming to a stop a hundred feet from where she started.  

She lay still for a moment, then struggled to her feet again.  

And the Shockmaster put her down _again_ , this time using bolts of lightning from his fingers.

Luffa was a Super Saiyan, but she had discovered that the form had its limits.  She was used to calling upon its power as needed, but against the Shockmaster there simply wasn’t enough power to defeat him.  There were ways to deal with stronger opponents, tactics and strategies that Luffa had learned at her mother’s knee when she was a child.  But these methods assumed that you had the enemy’s measure early on, and Luffa had gotten used to thinking of herself as the strongest in the universe.  She had gone into this fight without any real plan, thinking she would enjoy herself for a while, then overwhelm the enemy without much trouble.  If there had ever been a chance of victory, she had squandered it in her arrogance.  

But she refused to give up.  She was still a Saiyan, after all.  There was her pride to think about.  Besides, losing a fight was almost as much fun as winning one.  She spared a moment to think of her past opponents, the ones she had beaten.  By now, most of them would have been on the verge of a nervous breakdown.  Some of them would have begged for mercy they didn’t deserve.  Others would have whined about how it wasn’t ‘fair’, as if the universe had rules about this sort of thing.  

She refused to be like them.  The Shockmaster was stronger than Luffa, and that was now indisputable.  She had confronted him to find out who was better, and she wouldn’t beg off simply because she didn’t like the answer.  She would see this fight to the finish, no matter the outcome.  

 _ **“IS THAT ALL YOU’VE GOT?”**_ the Shockmaster bellowed.   _ **“I THOUGHT YOU WANTED A PIECE OF ME, LUFFA.  COME AFTER ME.  I’M READY.”**_

Luffa clutched at her shoulder and tried to catch her breath as she rose to her feet once more.  He looked like he was ready to charge her.  That suited her just fine.  The Galick Gun was out of the question with her bad arm, and she didn’t think he would fall for _ki_ ghosts a second time, not that the first time had been very effective.  But there was one other move, one that seemed appropriate for the situation.  

She forced her body to its maximum power.  Luffa had often thought of her Super Saiyan form as a separate entity, that _thing_ inside herself, constantly yearning to do battle at all times.  Now, as she pushed it to its utmost limits, knowing full well that it wouldn’t be enough, “that _thing_ ” was finally frightened into submission.  For once, _she_ was the one demanding more, and her powers were struggling to keep up with _her_ demand for action.  So at least she would have _that_ small satisfaction, even if the battle with the Shockmaster was a loss.

With her right hand, she raised two fingers in front of her forehead.  The Shockmaster had seen this gesture before, and she was counting on this.  He would assume this motion would trigger an explosion beneath his feet.  Luffa had used that trick before to throw him off-balance, but she suspected that if the Shockmaster had simply braced himself, he would have been fine.  Either he would stand his ground to show he couldn’t be hurt, or he race towards her, demonstrating that he could outrun the explosion altogether.  Either of these actions would be designed to demoralize her.  Both of them played right into her hands.  

Sure enough, he charged.  Over time, the Shockmaster had been gradually increasing his speed, to the point where he could get the drop on Luffa.  If he were moving in any other direction, she wasn’t sure she could have hit him at all.  He was just too fast for that.   But by coming straight at her, he provided an easy target, one that got bigger and easier to hit with each moment.  She waited just long enough to be sure he wouldn’t dodge, and then she swung her arm out and fired a crimson beam of light from her fingertips.  It struck him squarely in the chest.

"Vengeance Cannon,” she muttered.  

It was a name in need of a technique to go along with it.  An unauthorized movie loosely based on Luffa’s career had invented the attack, and the fictional Luffa used it in the film’s climax   Naturally, people kept expecting the _real_ Super Saiyan to use it in real life.  Luffa supposed it would have been simpler to just duplicate the effect used in the film, but it involved a lot of twirling and superfluous hand gestures, and the whole thing seemed like more of a pretense to showcase the actress’ figure than to hurt the bad guy.  

Her own version was better.   She had been using narrow energy beams like this to concentrate offensive power for a long time, and this was just a soup-ed up version of that.  More power in the beam, a bit more flourish in the firing gesture, and with her Super Saiyan form she could repeat the attack multiple times in rapid succession.  Its only real weakness was that it was easy to sidestep if you knew it was coming, but the Shockmaster had misread her intentions and inadvertently moved straight down her line of fire.

But she didn’t expect a single hit to finish the job.  Luffa balled her fists and charged up for another shot.  She estimated she had enough left for a second, and maybe a third if she was lucky.  Of course, he would be ready for it this time, so she would have to pick her shots carefully if she wanted to…

Suddenly, she powered down.  Luffa looked down at her hands and saw the golden aura of her Super Saiyan form was gone.  The vellus hair on her forearms was dark instead of yellow.  She glanced back at her tail and saw brown fur. She tried to transform back into a Super Saiyan and found she _couldn’t_. Apparently she had miscalculated.  The first Vengeance Cannon had been her last.  

She gasped and started grabbing at the hair on her head in desperation, as if yanking on it would somehow make it stand up on end and turn yellow again.  Reaching the limits of her Super Saiyan form was bad enough, like showing up for a fight in one’s underwear.  Losing the form _altogether_ made her feel even more exposed, like she had shown up for a fight without her arms and legs.  

To be sure, Luffa was still immensely powerful in her normal state.  But in her current condition, coping with broken ribs, a bad shoulder, _et cetera_ … against an opponent like the Shockmaster, she might as well have been a small child with no combat power at all.  

The one thing she had gotten right was that her last attack hadn’t been powerful enough to stop him.  He had been knocked back, and he had stayed down for a few seconds, but he was getting back up.  She guessed that he might have been hurt by the Vengeance Cannon, but he showed no sign of injury.  Maybe a rapid succession of Vengeance Cannons could have whittled him down over time, but she couldn’t imagine him standing still long enough for her to do that.  In any case, she doubted she would ever get the chance to try that out.

Instead of attacking, he stomped across the battlefield towards her.  Luffa steadied herself and stood her ground.  This was it, she decided.  He knew she was out of options, and he could finish her at his leisure.  All she could do was stand firm and keep fighting until the end.  

When he was within striking distance, he stopped and loomed over her, his silver helmet giving no indication of his mood or his intentions.  

Luffa spit on him.  

The Shockmaster laughed.  

“What’s so _funny_?” Luffa asked defiantly. “Let’s _go_.”

“ _ **YOU’RE BEATEN,**_ ” the Shockmaster said.  " _ **THERE’S NO POINT IN FIGHTING YOU ANY LONGER**_.“

"Yeah?  Then _finish it!_ ” Luffa shouted.  "Kill me!“

_**"NO.”** _

There was something chilling about this word, perhaps because it was the last thing she expected to hear.  

“What?” Luffa asked.  

 _ **“I DON’T KILL, LUFFA,”**_ the Shockmaster explained. **_“YOU AND YOUR KIND DO, BUT I WON’T SINK TO YOUR LEVEL.”_**

“You _bastard!_ ” Luffa screamed.  Without thinking, she fired a _ki_ blast at him, but the energy simply spilled off his body without any effect.  At most, she merely burned away the spit she had landed on his chest.

“You think you’ve won?!” Luffa shouted.  "You think this is over?!  Fat chance!  I’m still _standing_!  You haven’t won anything while I’m still alive!“

He snorted, and then turned his back to her.  Of all the damage he had inflicted on her, this simple act of dismissal was the most painful by far.  

"You think… you think you can just walk away?!”

She was still standing, but just barely.  Her legs felt like jelly, and she was starting to realize that she had only stayed vertical this long because of her resolve to keep fighting.  Now, her body seemed to recognize that the fight was over, and her fatigue began to catch up with her.  

The Shockmaster turned and looked at her for a moment.

 _ **“I WON’T SINK TO YOUR LEVEL,”**_ he said again.

“Fine!” she screeched.  “Leave me here!  You think this is the worst beating I’ve ever taken!  I’ll rest!  I’ll heal!  And when I’ve recovered my strength–!”

In spite of the bruises, the swelling, and all the pain, she smiled with the same bloodthirsty grin she had made when the fight had begun.

“Oh _yes_ , I’ll come right back and we can do this all over again.  Only _next time_ , I’ll be the last one standing, and I won’t _hesitate_ to put you down once and for all!”

 **“I DON’T KILL, LUFFA,”** the Shockmaster repeated.  He turned and continued on his way.   **“THAT’S HOW SAIYANS SOLVE THEIR PROBLEMS.”**

He laughed as he stormed off into the distance, and then he rocketed into the air.  Luffa could only watch him leave.  She was too badly beaten to catch him, and even if she could, there was nothing else she could do.

There was a sinking feeling in her gut, a dull ache in the back of her head, and a lump in her throat that had nothing to do with the injuries she had sustained.  She had been losing the battle for a while now and maybe she never really had a chance to begin with, but it was over now, and the finality of her defeat was impossible to ignore.

She meant what she had said.  Everything inside her that made her  a Saiyan demanded that she fight him again as soon as she could.  She was looking forward to it.   But she knew that wouldn’t be for a long time.  In the here and now, she was utterly helpless to deny her failure.

“Sorry,” she said to no one in particular.  She tried to take a step but collapsed onto her knees.  Her ribs hurt badly enough that she clutched at her side.

“Hell of a fight, though,” she muttered.  She smiled, but not for very long.  “Didn’t like… the ending, but somebody’s gotta… get the short end of the stick.”

She needed to rest for a while.  She was hungry, but there wasn’t anything edible as far as she could see.  With any luck, a wild animal might come along and she could use her own beaten body as bait.  Were there wolves on Planet Wist?  She hadn’t had eaten a wolf in ages.    She lowered herself to the ground gently–though not gracefully–and daydreamed about biting into the trachea of a nice, gamey wolf.  Like the kind in the taiga forests of Planet Alisair.  

Or Xenem IV.   

She couldn’t remember which one had the wolves.  

Maybe when she woke up, she’d feel up to flying, and she could find a river to–

And then her eyes snapped open and she rolled to one side, narrowly avoiding a _ki_ blast.  In spite of the pain, she forced herself upright and looked for the source of the attack.

It was Kandai.

*******

* * *

“No!  You were beaten!” he cried.  He was still holding up his hand from when he had fired on her.

They were both Saiyans.  They had the same kind of powers, the same innate love for mayhem.  They had even been married, and they _almost_ had a child together, until he betrayed her.

But no, they weren’t really the same at all.   He had committed crimes against his wife and unborn son that were unconscionable even by Saiyan standards.  Since that day, he had been living as a fugitive outcast, denying his own pride, concealing his own birthright, and learning the advantages of cowardice.  And _she_ , she had become something like rage incarnate.  Either she was too stupid to stop fighting or she honestly didn’t care.   

“K-Kandai,” Luffa said weakly.  "Good… timing.  I was just thinking about getting something to eat.“

"What… what _are you_?!” he gasped.

“We’ve been _over that_ already,” Luffa replied between coughs.  "What, does cannibalism turn your Saiyan stomach?  I do what needs to be done.    What do you expect from a true _freak_?!“

She was right, after all.  They weren’t the same.  They weren’t even Saiyans, not anymore.  Kandai and Luffa were _monsters_.  Maybe they always had been.  

He had been monitoring the fight with his _ki_ senses all along.  What else could he have done, since Luffa had destroyed all other means of escaping the planet?  And now that it was over, and the Shockmaster had refused to kill her, he had swooped in to finish her off while he still had the chance.  

Luffa figured out all of this immediately, but there was still one burning question on her mind.

"What’d you think of the fight?” she asked excitedly.  "Spectacular, right?“

"How can you still be standing?!” he screamed.  "He should have killed you!“

"That’s what _I_ told him,” Luffa said.  "But he’s too weak and cowardly to do his own dirty work.  I guess he was waiting for a Saiyan to do it for him, except you’re just as weak and cowardly as he is.“

She started to chuckle, but stopped when it hurt to much.  "Thanks for stopping by, Kandai.  Saves me the trouble of hunting you down again.  So… So what did you think of the _fight_?  I got my butt kicked in, but I’d like to see… to see any other Saiyan do _better_.”

“You’re *not a Saiyan*!” Kandai howled.  "You’re *not my wife*!  You’re an animal!“

"Oh, I was only… heh… only _kidding_ about eating your corpse, you _wimp_ ,”  Luffa said.  "I’ll just use it as bait.  Save me the trouble of doing it… ah! … doing it myself.“  She took a step forward and nearly doubled over.  "Of course, if nothing comes along, I might get _desperate_.”

Kandai screamed and fired another, much larger, _ki_ blast.  This time, he didn’t miss.  When it had faded, there was a gouge in the earth, and Luffa lay at the bottom.  Slowly, painfully, she rose to her feet and began climbing out of the trench.

“Not running away, Kandai?” she asked.  "You’re no dummy.  This is the best chance you’ll ever get.  Your _only_ …chance, maybe.  But it’s a lot… _unh!_ …. lot _smaller_ than you thought it’d be… isn’t it?“

She held up her thumb and forefinger, keeping them very close together, to illustrate just what kind of odds she was giving him.   He backed away, his lower lip quivering with terror.

"That…  that helmeted bastard did me a favor, huh?” Luffa said.  She clutched at her arm and shut her eyes tightly.  "First I beat the crap out of _you_ , and now he’s beaten the crap out of _me_ , so you and I just about even.  We can finally… s-settle it…“

She dropped to her knees and stifled a cry of pain.  ” _Come on!_ “ she rasped.  "This is your chance!     _Fight_ me, you son of a bitch!”

“You’re sick, Luffa,” Kandai muttered.  "You’ve already lost!    And here you are trying to pick another fight already!  You’re not a ’Super Saiyan’, you’re a rabid dog!“

"You’re not… gonna… _talk_ me to death… _Kandai_ ,” she groaned.

“I won’t play your game,” Kandai insisted, seemingly finding new courage.  "You want me to attack you so you can kill me on your own terms.  Well I love a good fight, but I like living more, so I’ll just wait until you pass out, and then we’ll see just how weakened you really are!“

"Good plan..” Luffa said.  "Might even work on… on a dumbass Super Saiyan.“

With an unholy determination, she rose to her feet again.  This time she didn’t bother holding back her anguished cry.  When she looked at Kandai, he could have sworn he saw a glint of green in her eyes, as if she had somehow managed to tap into her transformation again, and he stepped back involuntarily.

"But like you said, I’m a _rabid dog_ , right?  You should know, since you helped make this possible.  You betrayed me, killed our son, and you left me to die.”

“Shut up–”

“You’ll never be… free of _me_ , Kandai.  I’ll chase you all the way to hell to avenge my brat.  That’s why you can’t bring yourself to fight me.  Deep down inside… _nngh!_ …. you know you’ve already lost!”

She dropped to her knees again.   Kandai still felt the urge to take a step back.

“You’re wrong!  I’ll–! _I’ll–_!”

“Go on!  Fight me!  Kill me if you can!  I’d rather die than watch you embarrass yourself like this.”

His eyes widened with a mixture of desperation and rage.  With a savage growl, he summoned all the strength he had left and raised his fist to attack.  Luffa smiled, and appeared to do the same, though she remained on her knees.

*******

* * *

For a single uncanny moment, she felt calm.   The _thing_ inside her was practically silent now, having gotten everything it demanded and then some.  She would either avenge herself or die trying.    As their fists came at one another, she looked into her husband’s eyes and saw a fire that she hadn’t seen  in a very long time.  It seemed right.  Not perfect by any means, but _right_.

But the final blows never connected.  Luffa caught the scent of something familiar, and then there was the sound of a plasma rifle discharging.  There was a new smell, one of ozone and hot metal and scorched flesh.   Kandai’s face went slack and his fist went off-course, sliding across Luffa’s forehead instead of smashing into her nose.

Her own attack hit home, but this brief distraction kept her from following through.  She struck his abdomen hard, rupturing any number of organs, but without breaking the skin.

He stood there for an instant that seemed to last forever, swaying slightly as if his body couldn’t decide which way to fall.  At last, he listed to one side and collapsed, a spray of blood issuing from his mouth as he hit the ground.  Luffa stared at the burn mark on his chest, and reached out with her senses to confirm what she already knew.  

Kandai was dead.

Luffa took a deep breath and looked around to find the shooter.  Directly to her right she found Zatte standing beside her.  The Dorlun woman had the power to conceal herself, and so she had walked right up with a plasma rifle and shot Kandai at pointblank range.  

She wanted to know how and why.  She imagined that Zatte wanted to tell her.  But they didn’t speak.  They didn’t even look at each other.  They simply stared at Kandai’s body, and watched as the wind carried away the thin wisps of smoke from his wound.

**NEXT: Destination Unknown.**


	50. Chapter 50

_**[17 May, 236 Before Age.  Interstellar Space.]** _

On the bridge of Luffa’s star-yacht, the _Emerald Eye_ , Keda reflected on the situation on Planet Wist and was reluctantly forced to admit that Zatte had been right all along.  The mission to retrieve Luffa had not only been successful, but easy.  More importantly, it had been justified.  

Luffa had gone to Wist to punish the distant world for its failed invasion of the Federation.  No one had expected her to run into any sort of difficulty on that trip, thinking that Luffa was the strongest fighter in the known universe.  But the ruler of Wist had turned out to be even stronger, and he had beaten her decisively.  Keda still couldn’t quite believe it, but she had only gotten bits and pieces of the story.  

Zatte had insisted on following Luffa through the wormhole that led to Wist, certain that the Saiyan would need help.  Keda had dismissed this as an unwarranted risk.  The young Dorlun had been Luffa’s employee and sole companion for some time, and she had learned to trust Luffa’s strength and follow her orders, which in this instance were to stay put.  It occurred to Keda that if she had gotten her way, Luffa might have been killed on Planet Wist, and that troubled her a great deal.  

Instead, Zatte had hijacked the _Emerald Eye_ and took it through the wormhole against Keda’s wishes.  Like Keda, Zatte was also a Dorlun, from a culture that prized self-preservation, but Zatte and Luffa were romantically involved, and Zatte had come to the rather specious conclusion that Luffa’s power and influence were of divine significance.  To say that Zatte’s judgement was compromised was putting it mildly, and the word “zealot” kept springing to mind whenever Keda thought about it.  Zatte seemed willing to brave any danger on the grounds that it served a higher purpose, and such a mindset could be used to rationalize just about anything.  

Still, Zatte had been _right_.  Luffa really _did_ need their help.  Moreover, helping her hadn’t even been all that dangerous.  Before losing to the Shockmaster, Luffa had demolished the whole planet’s military and annihilated all of its spaceports, leaving it in no position to repel the _Emerald Eye_ or any other inbound starship.  From orbit, they found Luffa’s position, and brought the ship down just far enough away to avoid attracting enemy attention.  Zatte reconnoitered on foot, but her powers gave her the ability to refract light around her body, making herself virtually invisible.  By the time she found Luffa, the Shockmaster had already left.  If he had any idea about the rescue operation, he made no move to stop it.  They reached orbit without incident and left the Wistian system with no sign of pursuit.

The whole business left a lot of unresolved issues.  For starters, Keda had no idea where to take the ship from here.  Wist was on the other side of the galaxy from the part she knew.  Federation space was six weeks away by starship, though Keda estimated it would probably take seven, since the ship would need to stop for supplies at least once, which would mean altering course to find an inhabited world with a decent spaceport.  Ideally, they could just use the wormhole that had brought them to Wist, but that wasn’t an option, since the wormhole was inhabited by innocent life forms to whom Luffa’s Saiyan energy was toxic.  They had agreed to seal the Wist terminus to prevent any future incursions, and in light of this, a six or seven-week transgalactic voyage wasn’t so bad.  

Personally, Keda preferred long trips like these.  The star-yacht was safe, comfortable, and inconspicuous enough that no one was likely to bother it.  But she still needed to set a proper course.  As it was, she had been taking the ship in the general direction of the center of the galaxy, just to put some distance between them and Wist.  

In the meantime, she mulled over some options, just in case anyone wanted her opinion.  

*******

* * *

“There’s a good hospital facility on Towrine VI,” Dr. Topsas said.  "We can contact them and–“

"We can’t,” Zatte said.  "We have to maintain radio silence, and they’ll be expecting us to take her to a populated world for medical treatment.“

Topsas had spent the last two hours bandaging Luffa’s wounds and administering sedatives and painkillers to help the Saiyan sleep.  In one of his eight limbs he held a portable device with a real-time readout of his patient’s vital signs, and he kept at least three of his eight eyes on it at all times.  Once he was satisfied that Luffa was no longer in any immediate danger, he had gone to the galley to discuss the situation with Zatte.

"Yes, well I can see why that would be a concern,” he said dryly.  "’They’ most certainly would be expecting that.  ‘They’ are quite cunning, after all.   Ms. Zatte, would you care to remind me who ‘they’ are?“

"Luffa has enemies, doctor,” Zatte said.   “Not just the Wistians.  The Saiyans have tried to kill her before, and if they find out she’s vulnerable, they’ll–”

“Ah, of course,” Topsas said.  "I _was_ planning to send a message to the Saiyan homeworld, requesting that they please come and destroy us at their earliest convenience, but you raise a fair point, so I shall reconsider.“

"Doctor, this is serious,” Zatte said.  

“Indeed it is serious, for I find myself trapped aboard a ship full of little mammals who indulge in hysterics,” Topsas said.  "When I agreed to come along on this mission, Ms. Zatte, it was because we agreed Ms. Luffa might require medical aid, yes?  And this assumption has been borne out, has it not?  Then perhaps you might try _listening_ to the doctor instead of jumping at shadows.“

"Does she really need to go to a hospital?” Zatte asked.  "You can’t treat her with the equipment on board?“

"In principle, I most certainly can,” Topsas said.  "But you were absent the last time I had to minister to Luffa after a great battle, Ms. Zatte.  She had just discovered her transformation, and had considerable difficulty controlling it.  For all we know, her powers have malfunctioned again, and this was the reason she was so badly defeated.  I would know for certain, and I would prefer to investigate the problem on Towrine VI.  Bigreen would be better still, but alas it is too far to consider.   Towrine will suffice.  At least there, we needn’t worry about her rupturing the hull accidentally.“

Zatte looked at him with horror.  "You think that’s how she lost?” she asked.  "Her Super Saiyan form just… quit on her?“

"We know virtually nothing about it,” Topsas said.  "It is only because of Luffa’s interest in her people’s history that we know of other Super Saiyans at all, and none of them left detailed medical records for comparison.  For all we know, the power was only temporary from the beginning, and Luffa had only so many great battles upon which to apply it.  Or this may simply be a result of extreme exhaustion, or a sign of an entirely new transformation to come.“

"No,” Zatte said.  "I won’t get bogged down in what-if’s.  We need to go back to Federation space.“

"You have taken control of the ship, so I suppose I am in no position to stop you,” Topsas said.  "However, it will take several weeks to make the journey, by which time Luffa will be up and around.  Do you believe she will agree with your decision?“

"What’s the difference?” Zatte asked.  She threw up her arms and started pacing around the room.  "She already hates me.“

"I was under a somewhat different impression,” Topsas said.  

“Her husband was on that planet,” Zatte said.  "I shot him.“

"Given Luffa’s murderous intentions toward the man,” Topsas said, “I fail to see why she would take issue with this.  Indeed, I would think she would be most appreciative.”

Zatte rubbed the bridge of her nose.  "He betrayed her, and she swore she would kill him,“ she explained.  "Not for revenge, but for justice.  She told you what he did to her, right?”

The pedipalps on Topsas’ face drooped solemnly.  "She told me,“ was all he said in response.

"When I got to her, the Shockmaster had already beaten her and left.  Then Kandai showed up to finish her off.  I tried to stay out of it.  That was my plan all along.  I was going to let her take care of things on her own, but it got to the point where I couldn’t tell if she could handle him or not, and she seemed so _weak_ …”

“I think I understand,” Topsas said.  "You fear that by intervening, you’ve wounded her pride.“

"She’s told me about how you and the others helped her on the Tikosi planet,” Zatte said.  "She’s _still_ ashamed about it.  I mean, she’s _grateful_ , don’t get me wrong, but after all this time, the thought of accepting help from anyone still bothers her.“

"And yet she doesn’t seem to loathe _me_ ,” Topsas said.  "Though I did worry she might try to bite whilst I was examining her teeth earlier.  Perhaps I should be more careful…“

"It’s not the same,” Zatte insisted.  " _You_ helped her because you had an ethical obligation.  Keda helped her because she needed Luffa’s help in return.  Wampaaan'riix owed her his life.  But I only shot Kandai because…“

There was a pregnant pause, during which Topsas sipped from his cup of tea and waited.  Eventually he grew tired of waiting and offered his own suggestions.  "Because you love her,” he said.  

“Not that,” Zatte said bitterly.  

“Then because you resented her husband,” he offered.  "Despite her commitment to you and her estrangement from him, you feared that she still held some attachment to him.“

"No.”

“Did you shoot him to see if your plasma rifle was working correctly?” Topsas said with no small measure of exasperation.  

“I did it because I couldn’t _trust_ her,” Zatte finally admitted.  

“Am I now to guess as to the meaning of that?” Topsas asked.  

“I believe that Luffa has a divine purpose in this world, doctor,” Zatte explained.  "I won’t bother trying to convince you.  Keda already thinks I’m crazy.“

"Then you followed her to Planet Wist because you wanted to ensure that she would survive to carry out that purpose,” Topsas surmised.  

Zatte nodded.  "She knew Kandai was working for the Shockmaster, and she planned to tackle them both.  That had me worried.  I thought she might get her priorities mixed up, and she’s been so consumed with finding Kandai as it is.  If he escaped somehow, she might have chased after him and the Federation might have lost the whole war.  I just wanted to _be there,_ to be _sure_ , and when I finally _found_ her…“

She sat down on the galley floor and put her head in her hands.  "Maybe she could have finished Kandai on her own, but she had already lost to the Shockmaster, and I just couldn’t take the chance.  I’ve never seen her so badly beaten, doctor.  She was supposed to be _invincible_ , and maybe she had everything under control all along, but she looked so desperate.  All I could think about was all the good she had done for the galaxy, and how much she needed my help.  So I took aim and fired.”

“To save her from Kandai,” Topsas said.  

“No, to save her from _herself_ ,” Zatte said.  "She’s let that man distract her all this time.  She’ll never realize her true potential as long as she’s got this vendetta on her mind.  At least, that’s what I keep telling myself.  I want to help her do the things she needs to do, but maybe I’m just not willing to back off and let her do them.  Maybe I really am crazy.“

Suddenly, the door to the galley slid open, and Keda marched into the room.  "The Camelian Empire!” she said.  

“What?” Topsas asked.  

“That’s where we need to go,” Keda said.  It’ll take longer, especially if we go around Federation space instead of passing through it, but we’ll be better off in the long run.“

"Why would we go _around_ the Federation?” Zatte asked.  And why would we go _beyond_ it?  What’s in the Camelian Empire?“

"Asylum, for openers,” Keda said.  "That Lord Argon guy Luffa killed, he did something a while back to really piss off the Camelians.  Kandai too.  I was just going over the old bounty hunter files we had from Luffa’s mercenary days.  The Camelian government put bounty on Kandai _and_ Argon, and for a _lot_ of money.  I didn’t think anything of it at the time, but the Camelians would be indebted to us now.  They’d give us some breathing room, if nothing else.“

"And the Federation wouldn’t?” Zatte asked.  "Luffa founded it, you know.“

"Yeah, I was _there_ ,” Keda said.  "Well, _here_ , actually.  It happened on this ship.  The only reason those fatcats went along with it was because Luffa threatened to turn on them if they didn’t cooperate.  How do you think they’ll react when they find out she lost a fight?  And against a known enemy of the Federation?“

"She has a point, Ms. Zatte,” Topsas said.  "From what I understand, Marshall Booth was quite excited to relieve her of her office when she was trapped in the wormhole.  Still, I don’t know that we need to go as far as Camelia to–“

"We’re _not_ going to Towrine VI, doctor,” Zatte said.  

“I needn’t call ahead, if that’s what worries you,” Topsas offered.  "I know the hospital administrator.   He can pull some strings and have her admitted discreetly once we arrive–“

"The point is that Camelia is a major power in the quadrant,” Keda insisted.  "We can hide anywhere, but if we hide _there_ , we’ll be safer.  Not even the Saiyans like to mess with those guys, so–“

"We’re not looking for a place to _hide_ , Keda,” Zatte said.  

“Why not?” Keda demanded.  "If you want another adventure, we can turn around and go back to Wist.  I’m sure the Shockmaster could arrange something unpleasant for us–“

"Ladies, please,” Topsas said, raising two of his hands.  "I think if we all calm down, we can surely come to a decision we can all agree upon–“

"This isn’t a debate!” Zatte said.  

“Of course not!” Keda shot back.  "You hijacked the ship!  We can’t go anywhere without you overriding the helm controls!“ 

“I was right, wasn’t I?” Zatte shouted.

“That doesn’t mean you’re in charge!” Keda said.  “You don’t get to boss us around like we’re a couple of henchmen–”

“I never said–!” 

They began to bicker, and Topsas found it more and more difficult to follow what they were saying.  At last he realized they were speaking in their native tongue.  He sighed, and took another sip of his tea.  

"It must say, it is a pretty language you Dorluns have,” he said quietly.  

They went on like this for a while, and then they felt a slight movement in the deckplate beneath their feet.  Keda looked up and frowned.  "We’ve altered course,“ she said.

"Ah, I can understand you again,” Topsas said gratefully.  

“That’s impossible,” Zatte said.  "I locked out the controls.“

"I’m sure of it,” Keda insisted.  "Something must be wrong with the engines, or the navigational sensors are out of whack.   We’d better get up to the bridge and–“

The door to the galley slid open again.  They all turned and saw Luffa in the threshold.  She was covered in bandages made from Topsas’ silk, and wearing nothing else but one of the oversized T-shirts she slept in.  They were merchandise sent to her by the studio behind the unauthorized movie of her life.  Emblazoned on the front were the words "THE SUPER SAIYAN” in bright yellow.  

“Ninth Eye,” Topsas gasped.  "What are you doing out of bed?“

Luffa ignored them all and stormed to the refrigerator.  She opened it and withdrew a large bottle of batter.

"I thought you gave her sedatives,” Zatte whispered to him.  

“I did,” Topsas whispered back.  "Not enough, evidently.“

Luffa put the bottle to her lips and began drinking the batter, tilting her head back until the bottle was empty.   She slammed it down on the countertop, then wiped her mouth with her forearm.  She planted her hands on the countertop and leaned over it, her back turned to the others.  She took several deep breaths and shook her head.  

"Little drowsy,” she said.  "You guys’re on your own f'r dinner, okay?  Okay.  Okay.“

"Luffa, I–” Zatte began to say, but Luffa raised her hand, gesturing for her to be quiet.  

“Oh.  Oh.  Almost forgot.  I set a new course.    Ship’s taking us to my place,” Luffa said.  "Take about…uhhhhhh… few weeks.   Anybody tries to hack the computer again, I’ll breach the hull.  We all die in space.  Got it?“

None of them knew what to say.  When there was no answer, Luffa turned to glare at Zatte.  Her eyes were glassy, but her stern expression left no room for interpretation.

” _Got it_?“ Luffa repeated.  

"Y-yeah,” Zatte said.  

“Okayyyyyy.  We’ll talk later,” she said.  "I gotta ask y'something.“

"Sure,” Zatte said nervously.  "Later.“

"Right now I need to lie down.  Thanks ever’body.  Thanks f'r… stuff.”

With that, Luffa shambled out of the galley and down the corridor.  

“I really ought to check on her,” Dr. Topsas said.  He set down his cup and scurried after her.  

“I should get to the bridge,” Keda said.  "See if I can find out where she’s taking us.“

”'Her place?’“ Zatte asked.  

Keda shrugged.  "Beats me.  Luffa was born on a spaceship.  I don’t think she’s even been to the Saiyan homeworld before.  The closest thing she has to a permanent address is the _Emerald Eye_ , and we’re already here.”

She ran out of the galley, leaving Zatte alone to look at the empty batter bottle.

**NEXT: Unseen Forces**


	51. Chapter 51

_**[20 May 236 Before Age.  Interstellar Space.]** _

“How are you feeling?”

“Like– _ow!_ – like a damned fool.  Where’s Zatte?”

Luffa swung her feet off the bed and tried to stand up, but suddenly every muscle in her body seemed to cry out in pain.  She paused and forced herself to remain calm. She glanced up at the ceiling of the _Emerald Eye’s_ sickbay, then back down to Dr. Topsas.  

“Isn’t this the part… where you tell me to take it easy?” she asked.

“Would you have listened to me if I had?” Topsas replied.  "I find my Saiyan patients prefer to find things out the hard way.“

"Don’t tell me,” Luffa said.  "Delayed onset muscle soreness.  I pushed my body harder than I have in my whole life, then I’ve been stuck in this bed for who knows how long.“

” _I_ know how long, little mammal,“ Topsas said.  "Three days.  Although you got up and walked around at least four times during that period, so ‘stuck in bed’ seems a poor choice of words.”

“I sort of remember that…” Luffa said.  "Three days…?  Didn’t seem _that_ long… What kind of sedatives were you giving me, Doc?“

He began to list a number of chemical compounds, and she cut him off.  "By now, all this muscle pain ought to be long gone,” she said.  "The lactic acid buildup should have washed out of my system a long time ago.“

"That is a common misconception about muscle soreness,” Topsas said.  "It is true that the body metabolizes lactates to compensate for insufficient oxygen during strenuous activity.  This produces lactic acid in the muscles, which, as you say, is eventually excreted from the body.  However, the *soreness* is caused by micro-trauma damage to the muscles themselves.  The pain should subside as the damage is repaired, but as you said, this level of strain is quite unprecedented.“

She tried to stand again, but much more gingerly than before.   Topsas reached out to steady her, but she waved him off.  

"Thanks, Doc, but this pain and me are old buddies,” she said.  "It’s more intense than ever before, but I know how to deal with it.“

"I thought you might say that,” he said.  "You suffered some tendon damage in your shoulder, multiple contusions, and three broken ribs.  These have been repaired, but will likely be sore for several more days.  I can give you painkillers if you choose, but these will make you drowsy.“

Luffa tested her shoulder carefully and winced as she tried to raise her arm.  "Got it,” she said.  "Anything else?“

"I cannot rule out delayed-onset _ki_ disorder,” he said.  

She found a set of clean clothes on the tray table next to her bed.  "Figured you were coming to that.“

"Your _ki_ powers may malfunction if you attempt to use them,” he added. “That would be dangerous enough on a planet, but here on a spaceship–”

“I get the idea, Doc,” Luffa said wearily.  "Right now I barely feel up to walking.  I bet even _you_ could whip me in a fight right now.  You know.  If you wanted to.“

"Perish the thought,” Topsas said.  

“Come on,” Luffa said, managing a weak smile.  "You never once wanted to smack the taste out of my mouth?  I know I’m a pretty crappy patient.  You’d never get a better chance.  Not that I’d roll over for you.  I’m weak, but I’d still make you work for it.“

"You really want that, don’t you?” Topsas said quietly.  "On some level, you truly view everyone around you as a sparring partner.“

She snorted.  "I’m just pulling a few of your legs, Doc,” she said, somewhat unconvincingly.  She pulled a black shirt over her head and winced from the effort.  

“Perhaps,” he said, regarding her carefully.  "But I think you see fighting as something more than a way to resolve a conflict.  And it bothers you that you cannot share that with someone like me.“

"Aw, you’re reading too much into it,” Luffa said.  

“I heal wounds, little mammal.  To _inflict_ them would be counterproductive.  A waste of my already underrated talents.”

“I know.”

“I am honored by your invitation nonetheless.”

“You don’t have to get all mushy, Doc,” Luffa said.  She sat back down on the bed and started sliding her yellow pants over her feet.  "If you don’t want to take a poke at me, I understand.  I healed a bird with my powers once or twice, and it felt kind of goofy, like I was doing your thing instead of mine.“

"Of course,” Topsas said.  

“Zatte’s _okay_ , isn’t she?” Luffa asked.  "I remember her being there with me on Wist, and bringing me back to the ship, but that’s about it.“

"She wasn’t hurt,” Topsas said.  "Although she may be–“

"Good, I need to ask her something,” Luffa said.  She made her way to the door and hobbled out into the corridor before Topsas could finish.  

*******

* * *

“So _that’s_ where we’re going?” Keda said as she pointed to the star chart displayed on the screen.  

“Right,” Luffa said.  "It’s safe, uninhabited, out of the way, and there’s a decent spaceport about a dozen light years away.  And it’s close to the galactic center, so we’re less than three weeks out from anywhere we decide to go next.“

The Dorlun girl stroked her chin and regarded the chart like a seasoned military advisor, which wasn’t altogether ridiculous, given her recent work in the Wist/Federation War.  Marshall Booth had even offered her a job, though he had no idea that he was getting sound tactical advice from an eleven-year-old.  

"Where’d you find this place, Luffa?” she finally asked.  

“I bought it,” Luffa said.  

This shocked Keda, since she had been handling Luffa’s finances for over a year.  " _When?_ “ she asked.

"Around the time we started up the Federation,” Luffa said.  She was trying to get comfortable in the seat beside the captain’s chair, and wasn’t having much luck.  "Listen, can we get back to–?“

"Where’d you get that kind of _money_?!” Keda asked.

“From the mercenary work we did last year,” Luffa said.  "What’d you think I did with my share of the profits?“

"Savings account?” Keda guessed.

“We were getting paid way more money than we ever needed,” Luffa said, “even _after_ you figure expenses.  I decided I could use a place to go in an emergency, like if the Federation didn’t pan out.  So I contacted a broker and got in touch with a crew that charts the Core Worlds.  Got a good deal too, because I paid cash up front.  Also, the environment is kind of harsh.  It’s fine around the equator, but everywhere else is pretty rough, which scares of the usual buyers.  All they ever want is a private vacation retreat, and this planet doesn’t suit that idea at all.”

“You actually made a contingency plan,” Keda said.  "I’m impressed, Luffa.“

The Saiyan tapped the side of her head.  "I’ve got a _little_ something in here besides muscle,” she said.  "Which is good, because right now it’s the only part of me that isn’t sore.  Now can we get back to Zatte?“

"What’s there to get back to?” Keda asked with a shrug.  "You saw me run the sensor sweep over the whole ship. It says she’s not on board.“

"Dammit, Keda, she didn’t just open an airlock and jump out into space,” Luffa said.  

“Of course not,” Keda said.  "But you know how her powers work.“  The Dorlun concentrated for a moment and suddenly Luffa was sitting beside a near-perfect copy of herself.  Keda was taller, her skin had changed from blue to beige, her hair from long and red to short and black, and a tail had sprouted from the base of her spine.  

Luffa was unimpressed.  "Will you stop showing off and help me?” she grumbled.  

“If I scanned the bridge right now,” Keda said in an approximation of Luffa’s voice, “some of the sensors would be fooled into thinking there’s _two_ Saiyan women in here.  That’s because _my_ powers let me imitate enough of your features to trick the computer.  But my vital signs and internal organs wouldn’t quite check out, and the rest of the sensors would pick up on that.  They might not recognize me as Dorlun, but they’d conclude I wasn’t a real Saiyan.”

She concentrated again and willed her hair to stand on end and turn yellow.  "I can even look like you as a Super Saiyan, but when _I_ transform, it’s just a color change.  I can’t put out the kind of energy you do, so anyone with _ki_ sensitivity wouldn’t be fooled.“

"You forgot the tail,” Luffa muttered, glancing down at the furry appendage now draped over Keda’s lap.  The fur was still brown.  

“Oh, whoops,” Keda said with a sheepish grin.  "The point is that Zatte’s powers are completely different from mine.  She can refract electromagnetic radiation around her body, so the sensors can’t detect her _at all_.  Same goes for _ki_ energy, which is why we can’t sense her that way.“

"I know all of that,” Luffa said.  "That was how she snuck up on me and Kandai on Planet Wist.  I could smell her once she was close enough, but by then it was too late to matter.“  She leaned back in the chair and grimaced.  "Can’t the ship’s sensors pick up those trace chemicals in the air?  Or, maybe… I don’t know… you’d think her footsteps on the deckplate would register.”

“We didn’t pay for those kinds of features,” Keda said.  "When we upgraded the yacht’s defenses, we figured we wouldn’t need to worry about intruders as much as hostile vessels.“

"Right,” Luffa said.  "We thought no one would be dumb enough to come on board and risk dealing with _me_ face-to-face.  Except Zatte’s turned that whole idea on its ear, right?  She kidnapped me right under your nose.  Then she hijacked the ship, forced you to come to Planet Wist after I told her not to follow me.  Now this.“

"Look, she wasn’t herself when she kidnapped you,” Keda said.  "And she took over the ship to _help_ you.“

"I know, I know,” Luffa said, “but I get tired of her out-maneuvering me like this.  Bad enough I got my butt caved in by that Shockmaster clown, now I have to figure out why she’s playing hide-and-seek.   I just needed to _ask_ her something–”

“Well that’s easy,” Keda said.  "I can turn on the ship’s public address system, and she’ll hear you from anywhere on board.“

Luffa glared at Keda like she had two heads.  "It’s _personal_ , all right?” she said testily.  

“Okay, _okay_.  I’m only trying to help–”

“Well, help me _find her_ , would you?”

“All right.  Take it easy.”

Luffa sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose.  "Why would she be hiding, anyway?“ she asked.  "Was it something I said?”

“Do you remember what you did when you changed our course?” Keda asked.  

“No,” Luffa said.  "Honestly, I barely even remember doing it.  I guess those drugs Doc gave me really did a number on me.“

"Well, you were pretty upset about Zatte hijacking the ship,” Keda said.  "You threatened to breach the hull and kill us all if she tried it again.“

"I did?  Yeah, I probably _did_.  I’m sorry.”

“Hey, _I_ get it,” Keda said.  "It’s your ship.  You’re in charge.  I understood that when I signed on.“

"Yeah, but I was out of line,” Luffa said.  

“It’s cool.  You’ve had a rough time lately,” Keda offered.  

“Doesn’t give me the right to take it out on you guys.  I should be better than that.  I _have_ to be.”

She stood up and winced, then slowly headed for the door.  "I’ll find her myself,“ she said.  "Looks like the only thing to do is search the whole ship room by room, and seal off each section as I go.  Maybe the ship can’t sniff her out, but I can.”

“That’ll take a while,” Keda said.  

Luffa shrugged.  "Can’t be helped.  If you see her…“

"I’ll let her know you’re looking for her.”

“Thanks, kid.”

*******

* * *

Luffa opened the door to the yacht’s gymnasium and didn’t bother turning on the lights.  Despite the number of comfortable guest quarters on board, she had used the ship’s fitness center as a private sanctum.  A pile of floor mats served as her bed, and she was used to finding it in the dark.  She lowered herself onto it and curled up into a ball.  There were a couple of deck towels she used for blankets lying around, and she reached around with her hand to try to find them in the dark.  

“How did you know I was here?”

Luffa let out a rather undignified squeak, and scrambled to sit up.  "Lights!“ she shouted, and the ship’s computer illuminated the room.  

Of course, there was nothing to see.   Most of the gym was a wreck, but that was nothing new; it had been this way for over a year.  Luffa made use of some of the equipment, but she only needed one elliptical machine at most, so she had shoved the other five off to one side of room.  She hadn’t been gentle about this.  Neither had she been particularly concerned about the large mirrors that lined the starboard wall.  Each pane of glass was shattered, with shards laying on the floor beside them, surrounded by bloodstains.  In another corner, a rack of weights lay on its side.  Beside it was a treadmill that had been twisted into something resembling an abstract sculpture.  Luffa’s handprints were gouged into the metal.  

"I _didn’t_ know you were here,” Luffa finally called out.  "I was about to search the ship, but I was so tired I figured I should sleep first.  I _asked you_ not to come in here, Zattie.“

"I know,” she said.  "I thought this would be the last place you would look for me.“  

Luffa groaned and lay back down on the mat.  "Well, it’s dangerous in this room.  I blow off steam in here.  I break stuff, mostly.  I try not to…”  She started to laugh.  

“What?” Zatte said.  

“I used to lie awake in here and try not to transform,” Luffa said.  "I was afraid to even move.  Thought if I blinked I’d blow myself straight to hell.   But right now I’m weaker than I was when I was a kid.  It’s dumb.  It’s _all_ dumb.  I’m sorry.“

"Sorry for what?” Zatte asked.

“For _everything_ ,” Luffa said.  "Keda told me I threatened you the other day.  I don’t even remember that, but I was pretty sore about you hijacking my ship, so it must have happened.“

"How did you get around my program, anyway?” Zatte asked.  

“This ship’s always been my weak point, Zattie,” Luffa said.  "Doesn’t matter how strong I am if an enemy fleet gets in a lucky shot, or somebody sneaks aboard and sets the ship to auto-destruct.  And I always thought maybe Keda might try to pull something, so I found a programmer on Moleen and had him set up a master override.  It’s got something to do with the hardware, so you’d need do to more than hack the computer, but I don’t know how any of that techie crap works.  Basically if I’m on board and _I_ tell the computer to _do_ something, it _does it_ , end of story.  I like to keep things simple.“  

"I see,” Zatte said.  

“Anyway, I shouldn’t be sore at you for helping me out on Wist.  You were just doing what you thought was right.  It’s _humiliating_ , but I’ll get over it.”

“You will?”

“Sure.  I’m just sorry I let you down.”

Zatte shimmered into view, and took a seat on the mat beside Luffa.  "I thought I was the one who let _you_ down,“ she said.  

"What?”

“I didn’t really have a plan.  I just went down to the planet to check on you.  I wanted to be there in case anything went wrong.  And then I realized I had to make a choice.  I could either let you settle things with Kandai on your own, or shoot him and _guarantee_ that you would survive.”

“You probably made the right call,” Luffa said.  "That’s what burns me up about it.  If I could have killed Kandai I would have done it right off the bat.  Instead I kept dragging it out.  I told myself it was because I wanted to be sporting about it, because that’s how a true Saiyan would handle it, but even _he_ knew that was ridiculous, and he was a coward.“

She looked at Zatte and shook her head.  "I think I was afraid to finish him off.  Like, I’d been hunting him for so long that I was afraid of what it would be like to be done with it all.  Maybe I _wanted_ someone else to come along and do it for me.”

“My people have a story about a Dorlun who became immortal,” Zatte said.  "At first it was great for him, and he had all these ideas on what he would do with his endless life.  But he never really got started on those plans, because in the back of his mind he knew he would always have time to get to it later.   Then he fell down a well.“

"What happened to him?” Luffa asked.  

“Nothing happened to him,” Zatte said with a grin.  "He’s still down there, wishing he hadn’t wasted all that precious time.“

"That’s a lousy story,” Luffa said.  

“So’s the one about the Super Saiyan who couldn’t get past her vendetta,” Zatte said.  "I didn’t like the way it was going, so I changed the ending.  At least this way, you get to show up for the next story, and the one after that.“

"If I’d just been _stronger_ ,” Luffa said, “I could have handled the whole thing myself.  And you wouldn’t have _needed_ to get involved.”

“Wait, so you’re really not mad at me for interfering?  For hijacking your ship?  For cheating you out of your revenge?”

“Hah!  I mean, I’m not _happy_ about it, if that’s what you’re asking, but I’ve got no one to blame but myself.  Right now, I kind of wish _I_ could turn invisible too, you know what I mean?”

“Luffa, I’ve been avoiding you because I thought you were mad at me.”

“I thought _you_ were mad at _me_?”

“Why would I be mad at you?"  Zatte asked.

"Because I got my ass kicked, that’s why!”

Luffa pulled the towel over her head.  "I know how you feel about me.  You think I’m some kind of miracle, and it’s your holy duty to support me any way you can.  What’s the word?   _'xan-nil'Dor?_ ’  ’ _Why-we-survive?_ ’“

"Yeah.”  

“No offense, but I _hate_ that kind of mumbo jumbo.  There’s at least a dozen planets where everybody thinks I fit into their mythology one way or another.”

“I know.”

“I’m just a fighter.  Sooner or later I’m bound to lose.  I’ll get him next time, that’s the best I can offer.”

“Next time?” Zatte said.  She yanked the towel away to see Luffa’s face.  "You want to fight the Shockmaster _again_?“

Luffa rolled onto her back and smiled.  ” _Yes_ ,“ she said.  "That big oaf refused to kill me.  Biggest mistake he ever made.”

“But how–?”

“He was too strong for me,” Luffa said.  She was trembling, and she slowly rose to a sitting position, then onto her knees.  "There’s no sugarcoating it.  I never expected to run into anyone that powerful.  He was toying with me the whole time.  The only way I’ll win against him is to get even stronger.“

"Is that even _possible_?!” Zatte asked.  

“I won’t know for sure until I try,” Luffa said.  "But I _gotta_ try, Zattie.  I’ve been waiting for an opponent like this my whole life.  I can’t just walk away without taking another crack at him.  He was too strong for _me_.  I can’t get over it.“

She rose to her feet, and started pacing around the room, with a mad grin on her face.   "Sorry, I just get excited thinking about it.  Even when Doc had me doped up in sickbay, I had _dreams_ about it.  See, this was exactly why I wanted to find you, Zattie.  You always know how to cheer me up.”

“Um, glad I could help,” Zatte said.  She stood up and scratched the back of her own neck.  "So you’re _not_ mad at me.  I just want to be clear.“

"No, I’m not mad at you,” Luffa said.  "I just don’t want you trying to take over the ship anymore.  I’ve got a plan.“

"Well, I’m kind of embarrassed about the whole thing now,” Zatte.  "That day in the kitchen, you said you wanted to _talk_ later, and I didn’t like the sound of that.  I thought you were going to put me off the ship or something like that.“

"What?  No,” Luffa said.  "It’s just that I was thinking about you during the fight, and it was kind of a distraction.  Not that it mattered, I was gonna get my clock cleaned no matter what…“

"You were thinking about me?” Zatte asked.

Luffa turned around to face her, now bearing a solemn expression.   “Look, the thing is, I need to eliminate those kinds of distractions.  Next time, it might be a much closer match, and if I lose focus like that it could mean the difference between winning and losing.  Does that make sense?”

Zatte’s shoulders sagged and when she nodded, she didn’t raise her head back all the way.  "I… I think I see what you mean,“ she said.  "Believe me, the last thing I want to do is get in your way…”

“It won’t work out like this, not in the long term,” Luffa said.  "This is hard for me to say, but it’s probably better to get it over with so we can both move on.“

"Well, if this is what you think is best…” Zatte said.  "Look, I know you don’t believe it yourself, but I still think of you as a _xan'nil-Dor_.  I have an obligation to do what’s best for you, like it or not.“

"Good, I’m glad you feel that way,” Luffa said.  "Makes this a little easier to ask you this.   Ever since you shot Kandai, I realized there’s only one way forward here.“

Zatte sighed.  "All I ask is that you let me stay with you.  Keda’s the only other Dorlun I can find, and I still want to help you, even if you want to end our relationship.”

“End our–?  Wait, _what_?”

“Well, you’re breaking up with me, right?”

“What?   _Hell no_.  Where’d you get that idea?”

“You got all serious, started talking about eliminating distractions, and how much you want to get this over with.”

“Dammit, I’m not breaking up with you,” Luffa said.  

“Well then what was it you’ve been wanting to ask me this whole time?” Zatte demanded.  

“I just have a hard time saying stuff like this–”

“ _Well spit it out!_ ” Zatte exclaimed.  "Why does everything have to be so suspenseful with you?“

"Okay, okay!” Luffa said.

“I mean, you _always_ have to stall and stall, like I’m supposed to just stand here all night long and wait for you to put the words together,” Zatte raved.  "I know you get self-conscious about things, but no one else is even here!  Why can’t you just cut to the chase?!  I… what are you doing–?“

Luffa had walked to the mat and lowered herself–with some difficulty–down to one knee.  She looked up at Zatte and said: "Will you marry me?”

**NEXT: Try, try again.**


	52. Chapter 52

_**[9 June, 236 Before Age.  Luffasworld.]** _

Just as moons orbited planets and planets orbited stars, the galaxy was a system of at least a hundred billion stars all orbiting around a supermassive black hole at the center.  Surrounding the black hole was an accretion disk of matter.  This matter was close enough to the black hole to be pulled into its event horizon, and the gravitational forces compressed the matter enough to increase its temperature, causing the entire disk to emit electromagnetic radiation.  Among other reasons, this was why the very innermost part of the galaxy was completely uninhabitable by any mortal life forms.  

Consequently, when sapient beings spoke of the "center of the galaxy", they usually meant the region that lay safely beyond the accretion disk.   In that part of the galactic interior, there lay a dense stellar population of globular clusters, which contained the galaxy's oldest stars.  Navigation in this region of space was problematic, though not impossible.  Many of the stars in the galactic core had planets and moons, and a number of them were capable of supporting life.  But these older stars were formed with lower quantities of heavier elements, and so their planets and moons were born with little in the way of exploitable mineral resources.  So while travel and colonization were possible, there was little economic incentive, leaving many of these so-called "Core Worlds" untouched by intelligent life.  

Still, there was a market for just about anything in the universe, and the Core Worlds were no exception.  Among the galaxy's idle rich, there were those who liked the idea of owning their own planet, even if it was in an inconvenient location.  A handful of these actually visited their holdings from time to time, using them as personal retreats.  

Luffasworld was such a place, although its owner had no interest in recreation.  Indeed, the planet was less than ideal as a vacation getaway.  Its orbit around an orange dwarf star was situated in just a way to make the climate habitable, but not enjoyable.  There was a temperate zone around the equator, but no one bought an entire planet for just a thin strip of paradise.  A hardy band of colonists might have relished the challenge of making a life on the rest of the planet, growing crops in the tough sod of its plains, trapping furs in the taiga forests, or whatever else needed to be done.  But such colonists would have gone to a much more accessible planet in the outer rim.    

"It's perfect," Luffa said as she stepped off the ramp from her star-yacht.  She took a deep breath and started rubbing her hands together excitedly.  

"What's so great about this place, anyway?" Keda asked.  

"Everything," Luffa said.  "There's no moon to worry about, and there's plenty of different environments.  Jungles, deserts, mountains, tundra, you name it.  The surveyors only did an orbital scan of the planet, but they checked it for potential settlement.  The fresh water is potable, and the plants and animals are edible.  Everything you could want from a planet."

"Except people," Keda said.  "The nearest hospital is twenty light years away.  Bad place to have an accident, if you asked me."

"Nah, the whole point of this place is that I can finally cut loose without anyone getting in my way," Luffa said.  "Why do you think I spent so much time out in the wilderness back on Dorlu Prime?"

"Because you didn't have your own spaceship back then?" Keda suggested.

"First thing I want to do is set up the shelter," Luffa said.  That way you can take the ship on supply runs or whatever else you guys want to do."

"You want us to just leave you here?" Keda asked.  The young Dorlun was visibly concerned.  

"I'll be fine," Luffa said.  "Look, I've got a lot of work to do here, but there's no reason for the rest of you to sit around on a deserted planet waiting on me."

"Yeah, but..."

Luffa snapped her fingers.  "No, scratch that, the shelter can wait.  _First_ thing I want to do is have a look around.  Back in about an hour, okay?"

She leaped into the air and flew off into the horizon.  Keda watched her go, then shrugged and went back aboard.

*******

* * *

 

_**[12 June 236 Before Age.  Shafulb.]** _

Tik-Tak was the Archduke of planet Kopey.  It was the title bestowed upon him following the Monarchist Restoration Crisis on his world.  His father had been "First Citizen" of Kopey, a title that better suited the Egalitarian Revolution of that period.  Before that, Tik-Tak's grandmother had reigned as the Undisputed Sun-Empress.  Each of them had held the same basic authority, but the title changed to reflect shifts in the political climate, which were frequent on Kopey.  A dynasty like Tik-Tak's had learned to survive by being flexible.  

This tradition of flexibility was why he joined Luffa's grand alliance of worlds, which eventually became the Federation.  Though he was privately skeptical of the proposal, he couldn't deny the benefits of the alliance, nor could he argue against Luffa's ability to enforce the agreement.  And for a time, the Federation had been a successful venture.

But things had changed, as they always did.  And so he found himself on Planet Shafulb, a theocratic world which had once been a rival power to Kopey before they had joined together as Federation members.  There, he hoped to determine his next move.  It might have disturbed his father and grandmother to see him plotting alongside the Vicar of Shafulb, but Tik-Tak knew they would understand.  

"Nervous, dearie?" Drang Dedruhn asked.  She was a large creature with smooth, shiny skin, black on the back and white on the front.  Her blue raiment represented the holy office she served, but her broad smile full of peg-like teeth suggests a more cynical attitude to leadership.  

"How can I not be nervous, Vicar?" Tik-Tak asked.  "Marshall Booth consolidates his power with each passing day.  How long before we must call him ' _Federator_ Booth'?"

"Nonsense!" Drang said with a wave of her flipper-like hand.  "Booth has more sense than to usurp Luffa's position so blatantly."

"He has the _tact_ perhaps," Tik-Tak countered.  "But I see no reason why he couldn't assume full control of the Council.  In a year, he may well rule over us all like an emperor, even if he insists on keeping the title of 'Marshall'."

Drang took a handful of morsels from a bowl on her desk and stuffed them into her mouth.  She nudged the bowl towards Tik-Tak, who politely declined.  "You should eat more, Tik-Tak," she said.  "Your exoskeleton looks a little paler than when I saw you last."

"Ever since Luffa disappeared, Booth has exerted more and more control," Tik-Tak muttered.  "He was already in command of the military, but now he no longer takes direction from the Council.  Luffa was the only direct check on his authority, and she's gone into exile, which only emboldens him to seize even more power!"

"Booth _is_ incorrigible, isn't he?" Drang chortled.  "Worse, he's actually _popular_ for once.  He came out of the war looking like a hero, so when he claims more authority, no one seems to mind."

"No one except you, Vicar," Tik-Tak said.  "You've defied him rather brazenly, albeit quietly."

She chuckled.  "Oh, I merely do as the Holy Tide bids, dearie," Drang said.  "I truly _wanted_ to cooperate with Booth's proposal--for the good of the Federation, you understand--but after much consultation and prayer, I simply _had_ to refuse him."

"He could send troops to occupy your moon," Tik-Tak said.  "Then build the installation _without_ your permission."

"But he _hasn't_ , Archduke."

"Why not?  What do you have over him?"

She smiled insincerely and held out her hands.  "I serve a higher power, Tik-Tak.  I suppose a heathen such as yourself wouldn't be able to understand that."

"Oh, enough of _that_ ," Tik-Tak grumbled.  "I will respect your religious office to a point, but my family has crossed swords with you long enough to know better than to underestimate you, Vicar.  You _know_ something, don't you?  Either you have information that would compromise Booth's power grab, or you've been in contact with Luffa.  That must be it.  Unless... unless you've entered into secret negotiations with Wist...!"

Drang cackled with relish at this suggestion.  "Let's say any of those are true," she replied.  "Skies above!  Let's say they're _all_ true, why don't we?  If I had that kind of inside knowledge, why would I share any of it with _you_?"

"Fine.  Perhaps I have been a bit presumptuous, Vicar," Tik-Tak said, backing down.  He clacked his claws together in a apologetic gesture, although he wasn't sure the Shafulbian would recognize this.  "But you won't deny that you know _something_.  Something _important_."

"Oh my," Drang said.  "I do believe I see it now.  After I turned down Booth's _generous_ proposal to built a military base in _my_ system, he went to _you_ , didn't he?"

"No," Tik-Tak grumbled.  "He went to Penticede IV, and my sources tell me _they_ plan to _accept._  You see?  The worlds of the Federation are choosing sides, and if a power like Penticede IV is siding with Booth, then it's only a matter of time before I must choose a well.  The choice should be obvious, and yet..."

"And yet I would seem to have made the foolish choice," Drang chuckled.  "Only I'm no fool, am I, Tik-Tak?  Your grandmother found that out the hard way during the Eight Years War, didn't she?"

Tik-Tak nodded.  

"Oh, your grandmother.   There are days when I actually miss that old harlot," Drang said wistfully.  "Tell you what, why don't we talk again in a few weeks?  I'll visit Kopey and we can tour the spot where the Sun-Empress and I signed the treaty.  And if you haven't found your answer by then, I'll share it with you."

*******

* * *

 

_**[26 June 236 Before Age.  Luffasworld]** _

There had been sensor sweeps and geological surveys of Luffasworld, but these had all been conducted years ago, and from orbit.  None of the planet's features had ever been named or even catalogued, and so the honor fell upon the world's new owner, who didn't especially care.  Upon visiting the three largest deserts on the planet, she eventually named them "Easy", "Medium" and "Hard" in order of the severity of their climate.  To keep from getting lost, she preferred to make her own landmarks, like the fifty-foot wide trenches she had made in Hard Desert.  

She had fallen into a routine as of late.   By the end of her day, after drilling various _ki_ techniques in Hard Desert, she would fly west to Target Practice Mountain, mostly to blow off steam.  Then she would take the long way back to Campsite Forest, and admire the sunset along one of the shorelines.  If anyone had asked her to name it, she might have called it "Pretty Coast".  

In the center of Campsite Forest was a dome-shaped building atop a mound of earth.  She had built both herself, using clay and rock from other locations.  For a time, she had considered building more, since the first project had been a decent workout, but she had turned her attention to other regimens.  

"I'm home," she called as she walked through the archway entrance.  

"You're back early," Zatte said.  She was reading a computer pad and sitting in one of the deck chairs they had taken from the yacht.  Most of the furniture had come from the ship, which had been designed as a luxury pleasure craft, so while the house itself was primitive, the interior was oddly stylish.  

"Well, I had a pretty good day out there, so I figured I'd quit while I was ahead," Luffa said.  She crossed the room and inspected the slow cooker in the area they had designated as the kitchen.  "I think I'm gonna bake some of those tubers I found for dinner.  How many you want?"

"None," Zatte said.  "I'm still checking them."

Luffa turned to face her and crossed her arms.  "Zattie, they're _fine_."

"I know."

"The medical scanner cleared them.  No toxins, no pathogens.  Just plenty of starch and Vitamin B6."

"I know.  You showed me."

"Then why won't you eat them?"

"I did eat a piece of one," Zatte said.  "I rubbed a little on my arm and didn't get a rash, then I tasted it.  Nothing wrong there, so I ate it.  If I don't get sick in the next three days, it's fine."

"That's dumb," Luffa said.  

"No, it's the Universal Edibility Test," Zatte said.  "It's a Dorlun ritual on an unfamiliar planet.  Not everybody has a cast iron stomach like you Saiyans."

"Oh, come on," Luffa snorted.

"You should listen to me.  My species has tamed harsher environments than this with a lot less technology than what we've got," Zatte said, raising her index finger.   "What if there's toxins on this planet that aren't in the scanner's database?  What if the scanner breaks down for some reason?  We're a long way from a repair shop, you know.  You're lucky you've got an expert survivalist like me here to watch out for you."

"Yeah, but I still think you worry too much," Luffa said.

"Aw, you say the sweetest things sometimes," Zatte said.  "But I still don't want any tubers.  Ask me again in three days."

"Fine, more for me, I guess," Luffa said with a shrug.  She activated the portable stovetop and began poking holes in some tubers with a fork.   "At least you like my pot roast.  Anything going on around here?"

"Keda called.  She's on her way back from the Hobstot System.  Should be back at the landing site tomorrow night.  I thought we'd go over and see her."

"Sounds good.  I hope she found more of that cheese I liked.  It'd really go well with these tubers..."

"Oh, I think I finally straightened things out with the caterers."

" _Good_ ," Luffa said.  "What was their problem anyway?"

"Somebody got the order mixed up and thought you were a Sayvunn," Zatte explained.  "So they couldn't understand why we wanted so much food for such a small guest list."

"Sayvunn?" Luffa asked.  

"Yeah, I've never heard of them either, but apparently they only eat once a week."

"Poor bastards," Luffa said.  "Well, that's their problem.  So are we all set now or what?"

"I still need to clear up a few details on the license application, but yeah, I think we're on," Zatte said.  "You nervous?"

"Honestly?  Yeah."

"It's just a ceremony," Zatte said.  "We don't even have to do that part to make it official.  You're the one who wanted to get dressed up."

"I know," Luffa said.  "I just thought my _first_ marriage was going to last forever, and... well you know how _that_ turned out."

"Right."

"I mean I'm sure about this.  I want to do this, but I was so sure the _last time_ , too.  I never expected to be doing it all over again, and you're an alien, and _I've_ changed so much, and..."

"I know what you mean," Zatte said. "Well, I've never been married before, but everything else..."

Luffa finished wrapping the last tuber in aluminum foil, then sniffed at the air.  "Did you hear that?" she asked.  

"No," Zatte said.  She laid down her pad and rose from her seat.  "What is it?"

Luffa pointed to one of the round windows along the wall.  "Sounded like something rustling around outside the house.  Like an animal, but I can't pick up a scent."

"It'd better not be," Zatte said.  "I put enough sharpened stakes along the hillside to discourage just about anything."

"Could be something smaller, like a scavenger," Luffa said.  "Come on, we'd better take look."

*******

_**[26 June 236 Before Age.  Kopey.]** _

The Eight Years War between Shafulb and Kopey had formally ended with a treaty signing on Kopey, which at the time was viewed as a great step forward for the cause of galactic peace.  The site was dedicated as a monument, but that was one century and two revolutions ago, and eventually the entire area was rezoned for commercial use.  Drang and Tik-Tak sat at a corner table of a sports bar, which was as close as one could get to the original location of the treaty signing without smashing a wall and stepping halfway into the restroom on the other side.  

"Times have certainly changed," Drang chuckled as she dipped her appetizers into various sauces.   Tik-Tak thought she resembled a painter choosing a palette for a canvas.

"It must be difficult for you to see this area built up this way," Tik-Tak said.  

"Not at all, dearie," she replied.  "The food at the treaty signing was _lousy_.  They _needed_ a good restaurant around here, and now they finally have one.  Better late than never, I always say."

For security purposes, the two heads of state had the entire establishment to themselves.  A crowd of armed guards stood at the entranceway and at least one stood on the opposite corner of the room, occasionally giving suspicious looks to the waitstaff.  Drang had asked that the video monitors in the room be changed to news feeds, and they had been watching the latest coverage for the past twenty minutes.  

"How did you know?" Tik-Tak finally asked.  She simply giggled and placed an appetizer into her mouth.

He was referring to recent developments in Federation politics.  Marshall Booth's planned construction on Penticede IV had backfired spectacularly.  The Pentiss legislature had tried to ramrod the approval against public outcry.  Eventually, the planet's prime executive vetoed the measure in an attempt to bolster sagging poll numbers.  At the same time, Booth's people had been trying to survey the construction site, figuring the arrangement was a certainty.  Protests erupted across the planet, and the next election cycle on Penicede IV was now being interpreted as a referendum on Booth's power grab.  

Today's top story was a new wrinkle: the protests had spread to other worlds across the Federation, including Booth's homeworld of Woshad.   One of the video screens showed dramatic footage of armed soldiers confronting civilians.  Most of the protestors had their hair dyed yellow, or they wore yellow wigs.  Many of them held out their hands and curled in their fingers, as though daring the troops to come and get them.  

"Normally, I despise the idea of a free press," Drang said between bites.  "But I have to admit that it has its advantages."

"My sources tell me that Booth is already backing down," Tik-Tak said.  "He had come here looking to set up another military installation on my world, but he revoked the proposal the day after all of... _this_ got started."

"He'd better work fast," Drang said with an amused snort.  "Or he'll be worse off than when he started this little power play."

"But these are just... _protests_ ," Tik-Tak exclaimed.  "He has the power..."

"They're not just protests, Archduke.  They're a _reminder_ ," Drang said.  "Booth never had the power for any of this.  Otherwise, he would have conquered both our planets and every other Federation world years before Luffa arrived on the scene.  He's only as powerful as he is now because _Luffa_ formed the Federation, and because _Luffa_ convinced the member worlds agreed to pool their military forces under his command."

"But Luffa is gone!" Tik-Tak said.  "And she was defeated..."

"She'll be back," Drang said.  "That's the message those little heathens are sending to Booth.  He can have his way for now, but if he steps too far out of line..." She trailed off and began to laugh at the thought of that reckoning.  

"But you don't know that!" Tik-Tak argued.  "No one does!"

"You're right," Drang said.  "For all we know she's already faced the Shockmaster again and he killed her.  Or she's abandoned the Federation once and for all.  But the people believe otherwise, and even if they're wrong, that belief has left an indelible impression.  They'll never be as powerful as a Super Saiyan, but she's shown them how to be just as stubborn and defiant.  Booth might be rid of her, but he won't do away with her legacy quite so easily."

He clicked his claws for a moment and stared at the footage on the screen. Most of the protesters looked somewhat foolish in their homemade Luffa costumes, but  there was a humanoid woman in the crowd who looked just enough like a Saiyan that he almost thought it was the real thing.  He was startled for a moment, and then he realized that if Booth saw this same footage, the Marshall would probably be even _more_ startled.  

"But it's all based on nothing but speculation," he mumbled.  "A gamble."

"No, not a gamble, Tik-Tak," Drang said with a smug grin.  "It's faith.  The same thing that's kept me in power for over a century.  Whether you believe it or not, the people on Shafulb believe I'm their rightful leader, and I _do_ try not to dissuade them.  I'd prefer that these sinful rabble put their trust in something less secular, but the principle is the same.  Luffa's no saint, but she's fought for the Federation before, and asked for very little in return.  Small wonder she would become this kind of inspiration."

She looked down at her appetizers and smiled at the site of them.  "Hmmph, all this over a little Saiyan.  Amazing, really.  You know, you really should have something to eat, Tik-Tak.  You're no good to your people if you're malnourished."

He looked at the video screens again, and then down at the plate laid before him.  He hadn't even touched his share of the meal.  For the first time in weeks, he found he had an appetite again.  

"You know, Vicar," he said, glancing back at the protest footage one more time.  "I believe I will."

*******

* * *

 

_**[26 June 236 Before Age.  Kopey.]**_

Well after sunset, Luffa sat on the ground outside of the house, covered in wet towels.  Behind her, Zatte was scrubbing her hair and trying not to laugh.  

"It's not funny," Luffa fumed.  

"Why did you try to grab it in the first place?" Zatte asked.  She dipped a towel into a bucket, wrung it, then went back to work.  

"I thought it looked tasty, all right?" Luffa said.  "How was I supposed to know it could spray that awful smell out of its butt?"

"At least the stench is almost gone," Zatte said.  "Lucky for you we had enough baking soda and hydrogen peroxide to mix up this antidote.  Otherwise you might have had to sleep out here tonight."

"Shut up!" Luffa growled.  "If _you_ think it stinks, just imagine how bad it is for _me_."

"I know," Zatte said patiently.  "You're very sensitive that way."

"If the little creep hadn't sprayed me and burned out my nostrils, I bet I could track him from a mile away," Luffa muttered.  Then she started shaking her fist as she shouted into the forest: _"And I will, too, you hear me?!  This isn't over!  I'll eat your entire race!"_

Zatte gave up on trying not to laugh.  

"Don't you _dare_ mention any of this to Keda," Luffa warned.  

"Why would I--?"

"I _mean_ it, Zattie.  Not one word..."

"Fine.  If she asks what we’ve been up to lately, I'll tell her you read love poetry to me all night."

"For an 'expert survivalist', you _sure_ like living dangerously,"  Luffa growled.

"I'd better wash your tail, just to be on the safe side." Zatte said.   

Luffa crossed her arms and pouted.  

"So did the last Super Saiyan ever get married?" Zatte asked.  

"Huh?"

"I was just thinking about it before," Zatte said as she soaked another towel in the bucket.  

"Well, you're kind of putting me on the spot," Luffa said, her tone growing more relaxed as she gathered her thoughts.  "All the old stories say Chanisp had a harem.  Consorts, concubines, servant girls, 'advisors', you name it.  Some of those might have been full-on spouses, but there's no way to know."

"Doesn't sound much like any Saiyan I ever heard of," Zatte observed.  

"You’re right, come to think of it, but he was a big shot," Luffa said.  "He saved the entire Saiyan race from extinction, and then he went off looking for even bigger battles to fight.  They say he conquered so many planets that he had to conquer a whole other planet just to store all the spoils."

"And all the women," Zatte added.

"Yeah, he had an entire castle for them," Luffa said.  "Anyway, he could do anything he pleased, so maybe he didn't feel so inhibited about... you know.  He had about two-hundred children, and those were just the full-blooded Saiyans.  No telling how many half-breeds he sired.  I don't know how you'd keep track of a family that big..."

"Compared to all that, a second marriage doesn't sound so difficult," Zatte said.  

"Heh.  When you put it that way, I guess not."  

Luffa looked up at the night sky.  Being so close to the galactic center meant that there were far more stars to see, and the sky was much brighter than she was used to  on a planet like this.   Zatte dumped out the bucket and started putting the towels away.  

"So do I get to sleep inside?" Luffa asked.  

"I think you're back to tolerable levels," Zatte said.  "So you can come back in the house.  The harem took a vote and it was unanimous."

Luffa made a sigh of mock relief, and they went back into the house, arm in arm.  

**NEXT: Long Shadows.**


	53. Chapter 53

_**[1 July 236 Before Age.  Luffasworld]** _

Atop a glacier in the middle of nowhere, Luffa screamed.  

While she had some vague plan for training, the inescapable truth was that she had no idea how to go about this, nor would anyone else.  All she could do was to figure things out as she went, and see what worked.  Now that she had faced the upper limit of her power, she wanted to replicate that feeling, to better understand it.  

For once, there was no reason to hold anything back.  Even on Wist, where she had the luxury of fighting a stronger opponent on enemy territory, she still had to focus on the battle.  Here, on this empty planet, she could simply power up and do nothing else.  It pleased her to see that she had already grown stronger since recovering from her recent defeat.   All Saiyans possessed this trait, sometimes called ‘Zenkai’, but in her case it wasn’t going to help very much.  The Zenkai she had gained after losing to the Shockmaster would have been incredible for a typical Saiyan, but in her case it was just a drop in a very large bucket. She suspected that she would have to lose a hundred fights just to see any significant improvement.  

That bothered her.  When Luffa had first become a Super Saiyan, she had to be convinced that the transformation was natural.  Over time, she started to wonder if the ability was not only normal, but commonplace.  What if every Saiyan had the potential to do this?  The Zenkai was a path to achieving that kind of power, but you had to lose a lot of battles just to get started, and most Saiyans preferred to fight to the death.  That shortsighted attitude meant that most of her race never lived long enough to even approach the threshold of Super Saiyan power.  Luffa herself had won the ability through blind chance.  The Tikosi had forced her to experience repeated Zenkais, and then she transformed in a moment of desperation.  

But what if it hadn’t always been that way?  What if there was a time when her distant ancestors understood the Super Saiyan form, and attaining it was just a normal part of growing up?  The Zenkai increases were just to get adolescents ready for the change, and then they would spend their adulthood mastering the form, using wholly other means to improve.  

The possibility chilled her more than the freezing winds that blew across the glacier.  If it were true, then hers was race of tadpoles that had forgotten how to become frogs.  Through no real talent of her own, she was the first one in a thousand years to grow legs, and now she was trying to figure out how to hop.  

She thought of her unborn son, and her golden aura flashed in tune with her turbulent emotions.  If the boy had lived, maybe he could have learned to transform too.  Maybe they would have been able to train together, and he could have helped her figure some of it out.  Or maybe she really was a once-in-a-milennium occurrence.  Her son would have probably grown up to be a perfectly average warrior.  She would have been proud of the boy no matter what, of course, but having him around would have answered a lot of questions.  

Normally, she tried not to dwell on the matter, since it always made her lose control of her power, but for once she could let it all out.  The tears came, and her hands trembled, and she did nothing to stop them.  She balled up her fists, and felt her fingernails digging into the scarred flesh of her palms.  

She let it all come back to her at once.  Losing her son.  The betrayal of her father and husband.  Months of torment at the hands of the Tikosi.  The terror of not knowing what she had become.  The shame of being rescued by aliens as if she were a helpless child.  The revulsion and contempt that her own people had for her.  All of it was fuel for the fire, and she stoked the flames as high and as hot as she could.

Her thoughts drifted to Zatte, and she used this as well.  The Dorlun woman had lost an eye because Luffa hadn’t been there when it counted.  Zatte had been abducted and corrupted by the loathsome Makyans, and Luffa had failed to prevent this as well.  True, she had managed to free Zatte and put things right, but it had taken far too long by Luffa’s own demanding standard.  And Zatte had been the one to finally avenge Luffa’s son, because Luffa had been far too emotionally compromised to do it herself.  It was _maddening_.  

The glacier began to crack up beneath her feet.  She could still feel the cold air, but it seemed more like an unpleasant memory than an immediate discomfort.   Luffa had reached her limit several minutes ago, and now she was simply maintaining her maximum power, but it didn’t feel the same as before.  Somehow, she knew there was more, just a little more, if only she could bring it out.   But sustaining this level was hard enough in itself, and she had no idea what to do next.  She pushed herself to hold this power for a little longer, hoping that the answer would present itself.  

Then she _saw_ something.  

At first, she assumed it was just the rippling of her aura playing tricks on her eyes.  But the image became brighter and more clear with time, and while she couldn’t quite tell what it was, she was certain it was several yards away.  

Unsettled by the disturbance, she leaped towards it, her warrior instincts interpreting the anomaly as an intrusion.  But she misjudged her strength, and instead of closing the distance to the object, she sailed right past it.  No, _through it_.  

She turned to get a closer look, and the image was as fuzzy up-close as it had been at a distance.  It was basically humanoid like herself, though not obviously male or female.  Most of it appeared to be grey, with blue and purple markings on its body.  There was some kind of tool or weapon in its hand.  

She reached out to touch it, unsure how to proceed.  The planet was supposed to be uninhabited.  Even if the realtors had been lying, she had run her own sensor sweeps before landing, and found no signs of intelligent life.  More importantly, her own inborn _ki_ senses could detect no life energy from this being at all.  Was this creature even real?  

Then, just as her fingertips were about to make contact, it turned and faced her.  Its eyes seemed more vivid than the rest of it, and while it wasn’t looking directly at her, something about them made her draw back her hand.  It raised its weapon, as if making some sort of noiseless battle cry, and then took off running.  Luffa began to chase after it, hoping to learn more–

And then everything went dark.  She had been maintaining her maximum power for so long that her Super Saiyan form was starting to fail.  Her eyes had grown used to the illumination of her own body, and without it they would need time to adjust to the twilight.  Irritated, she generated a ball of _ki_ energy in her left hand and pointed it in the general direction of what she had seen, hoping to light the way.  

She found nothing.

Luffa flew around the glacier for a while to be certain, then growled a series of Saiyan profanities, and decided to break early for breakfast.

*******

* * *

**_[1 July 236 Before Age.  Wist.]_ **

The reconstruction of Wist proceeded quickly by most people’s standards, but the Shockmaster was not most people.  Tigon had learned that lesson as soon as she was elevated to the role of his chief of staff.  The post should have been purely administrative, but he preferred operatives to take matters into their own hands.  Using ancient Wistian methods beyond her understanding, he had bestowed special powers upon her, and enhancing her strength and speed, and granting her the ability to fly.   Her task was not only to run the day-to-day operations of the Wistian government, but to patrol the planet and enforce the Shockmaster’s will.  

Before the war, he had entrusted this responsibility to four people.  Argon, the former ruler of the planet, Calgon, the one-time leader of the rebellion against Argon’s regime, a Saiyan refugee by the name of Kandai, and the Kami of the Planet Wist.  The first three had all been killed by the Super Saiyan before the Shockmaster forced her to withdraw.  That left the Kami, who had apparently fallen out of favor.  Tigon wasn’t sure what had become of the planet’s god, and if she didn’t know, then she doubted the Shockmaster had informed anyone else. 

Besides, she had enough to worry about without wondering what happened to her predecessor.  The Shockmaster spent more and more time meditating.  He would disappear for days at a time, effectively leaving Tigon in charge of the entire planet.  If she were a more ambitious sort, Tigon might have found this  role appealing.  For a few days, she managed to convince herself that she could make a positive change this way, and truly improve the lives of her people.  

In practice, she was just the one who bore the brunt of the blame for the Shockmaster’s negligent policies.  

“We need more _workers_!” insisted one of the officers in command of the thirteenth zone of the southern continent.  Tigon had tried to learn all of their names, but she abandoned this effort once she realized it would make no difference.  She remembered his face from her last visit to his zone, and the problems he was facing.  

He pointed to a map that he had spread out over a chrome-plated table.  "The dam will _burst_ if we don’t repair it soon, and if that happens, the whole valley will be flooded.  It will take _decades_ for the region to recover–“

"Then fix it,” Tigon said cooly.  It wasn’t that she didn’t care, but she had bigger problems to worry about, and she had no time to spare expressing her concern.

“We won’t _make it_ in time,” he said.  "I’ve got everyone I can spare on it already, and that won’t be enough!  What happened to the work crews I requisitioned–?“

"The _Super Saiyan_ happened, that’s what!” Tigon snapped.  "She tore through our armies like they were nothing.  The forces we sent to Extraliga never returned, and likely never _will_.  The ones who stayed behind were cut down like wheat.  I don’t have the luxury of sending work crews to every zone that requisitions them.“

"Extraliga!” he growled.  "All this death and destruction over a planet on the other side of the galaxy.  A year ago none of us had ever heard of the wretched place, and now I wish I still didn’t!“  

"Mind your tone,” Tigon warned.  "The Master Reigns, the Partner Provides.  The conquest of Extraliga is vital to the Shockmaster’s plans.  Once it is secured, the way will be clear to make Wist into what it once was.“

The officer spit on the silver plating of her uniform.  It was a common experience for her these days.  

"At the rate we’re going, there won’t be anything left of this planet to bother restoring!” he shouted.  "The people in this zone don’t need shiny metal houses or empty _promises_!  They certainly don’t need to be sent off to die in another war!  What they need is food and protection, and I can’t secure any of those things with the resources I have!  You cannot– _Urk_!“

Tigon had grabbed him by the throat and raised him high over her head.  She sympathized with him, and with the people for whom he was speaking, but insubordination would solve nothing.  

"New orders,” she said.  "Find all the able-bodied adults you can, and send them to the capitol zone in one week’s time.“

"That’s… insane!” he gasped.  She set him down and let him speak.  "You can’t seriously be planning to send them _all_ into space!  I have enough children separated from their parents as it is!“

"Then you can send the children to Zone 14, where they’ll be safe from the effects of the flooding,” Tigon said.  "That should solve your problem, won’t it?  And without taking up valuable resources from the war effort.“

"This is monstrous!” the officer shouted.  "You’re only sending those people across the galaxy to die!“

"You have your orders!” Tigon said with a sneer.  She turned her back to him and floated into the air.  "I’ll be back to see that you carry them out.“  

As she flew, she wondered if her powers might have been of some use in repairing the dam, but she had no time to waste on finding out.  She still had to visit nine more zones, and then inspect the shipyards.  With any luck she could complete negotiations with the mercenaries, and that _might_ ease the situation, but she didn’t want to get her hopes up.

*******

* * *

_**[1 July 236 Before Age.  Luffasworld]** _

"No life signs at all then?  Not even fossils or ruins or anything like that?”

“Nope,” Keda said.  "I mean, there were probably a few mosses and insects, but nothing intelligent. Why?  Did you see something on that glacier?“

"No,” Luffa lied.  "No, I just got a little carried away out there, and thought I should double check.“

Aboard Luffa’s star-yacht, she and Keda were eating snacks on the bridge.  The Dorlun child practically lived on this deck, and now that she had finished reviewing the ship’s sensor logs, she left the bridge console and sprawled out on the sleeping mat she had laid on the floor.

"How’s the training going?” Keda asked idly.  

“It’s going,” Luffa said.  "I’m making progress, just not as much as I hoped for.“

"You’ll get there,” Keda said.  "Eventually.  I mean, how long do Saiyans live for, anyway?“

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, kid,” Luffa grumbled.

“No problem,” Keda said.  "It’s like when I was learning how to shapeshift different kinds of clothing.  It was slow going, but I just had to stick with it.  If you need any pointers, just let me know.“

"I’ll keep that in mind,” Luffa said dryly.  "Maybe you can make yourself look like the Shockmaster and I can use you for a tackling dummy.  How about it?“

"Uh…”

“Didn’t think so,” Luffa snorted.  She put three cookies in her mouth and chewed them with relish.

“So you’re not going to the Hobstot System with Zatte and Doctor Topsas?” Keda asked.

“Of course not,” Luffa said.  "I’m here to train.  The rest of you can come and go as you please.“

"You mind if I stay at your place while they’re gone?” Keda asked.  "I’ve got some work to catch up on, but I’ve been cooped up on this bridge for too long.“

"Why don’t you go with them?” Luffa asked.  

“I was just there last week ago.  Supply run.”

Luffa shrugged.   “I mean, sure.  But I’ll be gone most of the day.  You’ll be on your own the whole time.”

“It’s cool.  I just haven’t spent a lot of time there.  I thought I could use a change of scenery.”

“Well, whatever, kid.  Suit yourself.”  

The bridge was silent for several minutes, then Keda finally spoke up again.  "So, uh, about the ship.  How would you feel about me bringing guests aboard once in a while?“  

” _Guests_?“ Luffa asked.  

"Yeah, I mean, I’d check with you first when you’re around, but lately I’ve been making a lot of supply runs without you.”

“What _kind_ of guests?” Luffa asked.  

Keda shrugged.  "Nobody in particular.  You know.  Boys.“

"Aren’t you a little _young_ to be thinking about _boys_?” Luffa asked pointedly.

“I’ll be twelve before you know it,” Keda said.  

“Oh, excuse _me_ , Honored Elder,” Luffa snorted.  "Are we talking about any _specific_ boys?“

"No, I just want to clear it with you in case it comes up down the road.  I’ll probably wait until I’m thirteen to really get serious about it.  Right now I’m just keeping an eye out.  Seeing what’s out there.  So how about it?”

Luffa took a bite of jerky and rolled her eyes.  "Can I think about this for a while?“ she finally said.  

"Oh, you don’t have to worry about checking with Zatte,” Keda said. “She and I already talked about it, and she told me whatever you want to do is fine with her.”

“I wasn’t _going_ to check with her,” Luffa said.  "It’s my ship, kid.“

"Well, once you’re married, half of it’s _hers_ , right?  Wait, you didn’t draft a pre-nup, did you?  I mean, I would if I were you, but how’d you talk her into that?  Wait, if it was bedroom stuff then don’t tell me.”

Luffa rubbed the bridge of her nose and sighed.

*******

* * *

_**[1 July 236 Before Age.  Wist.]** _

“Get off this planet!  Now!”

Tigon had gotten up so quickly that she had knocked over her chair.  She was pointing at the door to her office, but she would have preferred to pick the man up and hurl him into space.  

General Lekvar remained seated, and chuckled.  "You know, you’re _beautiful_ when you’re angry, Madam Tigon, but you really ought to _smile_ more.“

He was a tall blue man with scaly skin and red eyes.  Every few minutes he would dip his fingers into a small canister of gel and smear it on himself, even though he seemed to be covered in the stuff already.  According to Lekvar, it was considered a potent aphrodisiac on his homeworld.  Tigon found this to be about as legitimate as his rank.  

Sadly, Wist needed men like Lekvar.  The first invasion of Extraliga was supposed to be a quick, clean, and bloodless triumph.  The Shockmaster had produced a wormhole that connected the two worlds, and the Undeletor, a seemingly magical device that could digitize and recreate an entire occupation army.   A single agent could travel through the wormhole and install the Undeletor in a matter of hours.  Then the Undeletor could deploy the army in an instant, bypassing Extraliga’s defenses and taking the entire planet by surprise.  But the Super Saiyan Luffa had thwarted the entire plan, and now the wormhole was sealed, and the Undeletor in enemy hands.  The Shockmaster had beaten Luffa, but if he wanted to take back Extraliga, he would have to do it the old-fashioned way, which would _not_ be quick, nor clean, nor bloodless.

The Wistian military could be rebuilt with time, but the Shockmaster was in too great a hurry, and the only way to raise a large enough force was to hire mercenaries.  This put the Wistian economy on the brink of financial ruin, but the Shockmaster didn’t seem to care.  It seemed that all of the peace, prosperity, and glory he had promised would only come true once Extraliga was firmly under his control.  Until that moment, no sacrifice was too great for the cause.  

But Lekvar had gone too far.  He wasn’t just a soldier for hire, he was a gangster, a pirate, and a slaver.  It would take six weeks for his ships to reach Extraliga, and he wanted Wistian civilians put aboard his ships to 'entertain’ his crews during the long voyage.  Tigon had a pretty good idea what this meant, although Lekvar was _quite_ forthcoming about explaining exactly what sort of 'entertainment’ he had in mind.  

"I said get out!” she shouted.  

“Or what?  You’ll cancel our contract?  Go ahead.  Plenty of _other_ high-paying jobs out there.  Good luck on Extraliga.”

“You lousy–!”  

In a flash, Tigon had leaped over her desk and grabbed Levkar by the collar of his uniform.  He grabbed her wrists and tried to break her hold, but she was far too strong.  

“What… now?” he rasped.  "You’ll… kill me?  Is that it?“

Tigon hadn’t planned that far ahead, but she liked the idea.  She had served in the rebellion against Lord Argon before the Shockmaster took over.  She had dreamed of having this kind of power.  No hit-and-run tactics, or waiting for the right opportunity, or entrusting a higher power to settle the score.  She could just grab wicked men and squeeze the misbegotten life right out of them.  

"Why shouldn’t I?” Tigon asked.  She didn’t really expect an answer.  She just wanted to see the terror in his eyes as he realized she was serious.  

“Because if I die, the Levkar fleet breaks up into at least five different factions,” he said calmly.  "You can negotiate with _each_ of them separately, but good luck getting them all to work alongside one another while each captain is trying to undermine the other four.  And you’ll _still_ need to supply their crews with 'entertainment’ for the long trip.“

She stared into his eyes for a moment and saw no trace of fear.  And why _should_ he be afraid?   He was _right_.  

"You _need_ me, Madam Tigon,” he said triumphantly.  "At least, the Shockmaster does.  Kill me, and you delay his big war plan.  And then what happens to _you_?  What happens to the people on this planet?  Think about it and ask yourself if it’s worth a few thousand civilians.“

She released him and dropped her arms to her sides.  If she didn’t give him what he wanted, the Shockmaster would simply drive the Wistian people even harder to make up for the loss.  More families broken up by the military draft.  More resources reallocated to the shipyards and away from critical infrastructure.  

And worst of all, if _she_ didn’t give him what he wanted, the Shockmaster would simply replace her with _another_ subordinate who _would_.  That was how she got the job in the first place, after all.  

"I’ll need to clear your request with the Shockmaster,” she said in a low voice.  

“Naturally,” he said.  "I’m _sure_ he’ll see things my way.“

"I’m sure he will.”

He reached out and patted the side of her face with his hand, which was still coated in gel.  "You really _are_ a beautiful girl, you know that?  I’m looking _forward_ to having some of _your_ kind on my ship.“

She clenched her fists, but took no other action.  Lekvar smiled and turned to leave.  When he was gone, she sat at her desk and stared at her hands.  Despite the power she felt within her, she had never felt so helpless in her entire life.

**NEXT: Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner?**


	54. Chapter 54

_**[6 July 236 Before Age.  Luffasworld.]** _

Twenty feet over the ocean, Luffa drilled various maneuvers, ramping up her power a little bit with each repetition.  She was feeling nostalgic today, and her mother had used this routine to train in early childhood.  Only this time, Luffa was at least a thousand miles from dry land, and she planned to keep going until she reached her maximum.  She had estimated that this would take at least four hours, depending on how long she could hold out at her limit.  Eventually, her body would falter, and she would fall into the water below.  Maybe she would have enough _ki_ to fly, or maybe she would have to swim to shore, but either way she would be forced to go beyond her limits or she would drown.  

She imagined that her mother would have been appalled by these modifications.  There was an old Saiyan proverb: A corpse won’t get any stronger.  There was a line between training and simply endangering oneself.  Saiyans grew stronger whenever they recovered near-fatal injuries, so there was a temptation among their kind to train themselves to the brink of death  But the key word was “brink”.  Push things too far, and you simply trained yourself _to death_ , and there was no recovery from that.  A training regimen needed to be intense and demanding, but it also needed to be sensible.  There had to be allowances for food, rest, shelter, and basic safety.  Luffa’s mother wouldn’t have approved of taking such a gamble for mere exercise.  Perhaps the risk was warranted in a life-and-death battle, but never for anything less.  

But Luffa had something to prove.  She had ascended beyond the realm of ordinary Saiyan and she need to advance even further.  She often wondered what her mother would think of her now.  If it was just a matter of being stronger, she assumed her mother would have been proud, even if it made Luffa’s hair glow yellow and her eyes turn green.  But the form also laid bare a craving for mayhem and danger, enough to frighten even a Saiyan’s wild heart.  It just wasn’t _enough_ for Luffa to train.  She had to raise the stakes.  As the noonday sun loomed overhead, as she began to approach the peak of her _ki_ , she could feel the first signs of exhaustion taking hold.  She was getting hungry, and there was an all-too-familiar ache in her arms and legs.  Soon, there would be no turning back, and the peril she had planned for herself would be unavoidable.  

She thought of this and smiled for the first time all day.  

Maybe her mother would have been horrified, but her mother had been dead for over a decade, and Luffa had lived on, and that was all there was to it.  As she completed the next round of punches and kicks, she raised her _ki_ , and found that she could take it no higher.  Nevertheless, she stubbornly clenched her fists and tried to force herself to go even higher.  Her fingernails began to puncture the palms of her fingerless gloves and she could feel the blood seeping out of the flesh underneath.  But in spite of her grim determination, she could become no stronger.  For today, this was her absolute limit.  

But then the world around her _changed_.  The empty, cloudless skies were suddenly filled with strange aircraft that chased each other and fired bolts of blue energy.  The ocean below was now churning with hovercrafts and torpedoes cutting through the water.  In the distance she could see massive ships that looked like floating castles.  One of them was on fire, and beneath a plume of black smoke it continued to fire massive cannons mounted on its main deck.  

Luffa couldn’t explain what had happened, but she knew at once that she was in the middle of a set-piece naval battle, and reacted accordingly.  She let loose a wave of destructive energy from her body, sending a flash of golden light out in all directions.  This would not only destroy and disperse any incoming artillery, but with any luck it would startle all the belligerents long enough for her to investigate.  

But when the explosive wave faded, she found nothing had changed.  None of the ships or aircraft seemed to notice the disturbance, and if her attack had detonated any torpedoes, there was no sign of it.  Confused, she flew to intercept one of the hovercraft that sped past her, and as she reached out to grab the pilot, she noticed that she couldn’t quite see it very well.  Even at close range, the vehicle and rider seemed blurry and out of focus.  She circled around to get in front of the hovercraft, and when she saw the pilot’s face she realized she had seen this before.  

It was the same kind of phantom she had seen on the glacier.  The same grey complexion, the same blue and purple markings, and the same vivid eyes as before.  At last, she realized what she should have noticed from the beginning: like the soldier on the glacier, she could sense no life energy from this person, nor from anywhere else in the vicinity.  

It seemed to register her presence now, but as she motioned for it to stop, the hovercraft continued on its course and passed right through her.  Luffa felt a chill down her spine as she considered the ramifications of this.  She thought about flying to one of the larger battleships.  Whatever these things were, they seemed to be organized like a real military force, and their command center was bound to have some answers…

But her powers began to fade, and Luffa found herself struggling to stay aloft.  As she weakened, the phantoms began to fade from sight.  She splashed into the ocean, and when she surfaced again, she found herself completely alone.  

Luffa floated quietly for a few minutes, digesting what she had just experienced.    Unable to find an answer, she turned her attention to her survival, and began swimming in search of a fish big enough to restore some of her strength.  

The wounds on her palms began to sting from the seawater.

********

* * *

Hours later, Luffa stumbled through the door of the shelter she had built.

“Hey, you okay?” Keda asked. 

“Yeah…” Luffa said.  She was exhausted, and her clothes were covered in salt crystals from the ocean.  She looked around the room for the closest chair, then decided it would be easier to sit on the floor instead.

Keda went to the food storage unit to get her a bottle of water.  "See, this is why I don’t like the idea of leaving you here by yourself,“ she said.  

"I pushed a little too hard, that’s all,” Luffa said.  "I tried to force my body to hit a new level, and it didn’t happen.  Nothing to worry about.  Happens all the time when I train.  Frustrating as hell, though.“

She put her forearms on her knees and lowered her head.  

Although Luffa owned the entire planet, she had only used it as a private training ground.  In truth, she had no permanent residence, having been born in space, and living most of her life aboard various spacecraft.  The house she had built here was merely a temporary shelter she used so that her companions could have free access to her star-yacht.  Normally, she lived in the hut with her fiancée, Zatte, but she was off on an outing with Dr. Topsas, and Keda had insisted on staying behind during their absence.  

There was nothing especially bothersome about living with Keda.   They had been shipmates on the yacht for a few years, and got along well.  The Dorlun youth respected Luffa’s more eccentric habits and gave her a wide berth.   She had even made herself useful, acting as Luffa’s unofficial aide-de-camp.  For Luffa’s part, Keda had saved her life once, and she felt an obligation to the child that she couldn’t quite put into words.  Though physically weaker than any Saiyan, Keda was sharp and resourceful, and smarter than any eleven-year-old ought to be.  Though Keda always preferred to avoid danger, it was out of practicality rather than fear, and Luffa considered the girl to be one of the bravest beings she had ever met.  

So having her over as a houseguest wasn’t a problem.  What irked Luffa was that she had come to this planet for solitude.  Luffasworld was deserted, and while she understood that her friends would want to stick around while she trained here, she also assumed that they would want to get off this rock at least once in a while.  She had sort of counted on that.  As much as she had enjoyed Zatte’s company, she had been looking forward to having the place to herself for a while.

If Luffa was completely honest with herself, she didn’t really know _why_ she wanted that sort of isolation, except that she believed she could get better results by training without any distractions.  Keda had stayed out of her way, but something about her insistence on staying behind felt… insulting.  As if Keda didn’t trust Luffa to look after herself for a few days.  

"You want something to eat?” Keda asked.  "I got rations…“

"Do you hear that?” Luffa said.  She raised her head and started looking around. 

“Hear what?” Keda asked.

“If that’s Stinky, I’m having _him_ for dinner, and that’s final!” Luffa growled.  With a newfound energy, she rose up from the floor and stomped outside.    

“Wait, what’s Stinky?” Keda asked.  

“Nosy little animal,” Luffa muttered.  "Likes to _sneak around outside people’s houses_ and then _spray crap_ all over them!  Well not this time!“

"Luffa, I really don’t think–”

But she was already halfway around the circumference of the house, her hand raised to fire a _ki_ blast.  "I’m ready for you this time, you jerk!  Gonna fry you up _real_ nice and–“

"Wait!  Don’t shoot!  I surrender!”

Luffa stopped dead in her tracks as she rounded the building.  There, she spotted a near-humanoid creature cowering in terror next to the house.  It was purple, about three-and-a-half feet tall, with a skinny body and a large, wide head with eyestalks on top.  

“Who the hell are you?” Luffa demanded.  "How did you find this place?“

"Luffa, it’s okay!” Keda said.  "He’s a friend!  Don’t hurt him!“

Luffa spun around to face Keda.  "And what do _you_ know about this?” she asked.  

“Well, uh, maybe I should call in the others first,” Keda said sheepishly.  

“What ‘others’?” Luffa asked.

“Promise you won’t get mad?” Keda asked.  

Luffa crossed her arms and glared at her.  

*******

* * *

“Hi ho!”

Luffa’s house was full of the purple creatures now.  There were at least twenty of them, and all of them had come from within walking distance of her house.  The one greeting her now was apparently their leader.  

“Okay, so who _are_ you people?” Luffa asked.  

“I am Jerree, Ambassador of the Plantians,” the leader said in a low, throaty voice.  "It is an honor to meet you!“

He held out his hand and Luffa reluctantly shook it.  "Plantians… Wait, the Planet Plant.  The one Old Darbock liberated two thousand years ago…”

“Exactly!” Jeree said.  “Although in point of fact we have colonized a new homeworld since those days.”

“They’ve been trying to schedule an audience with you for a long time now,” Keda explained.  "But you’ve been moving from place to place so much, I could never get it scheduled until now.“

"Keda, I came here to _train_ ,” Luffa said. “Not so you could clear my calendar.”

“Oh, Keda has informed us of your mission,” the ambassador said.  "That is why we have been careful to stay well out of your way while you train.  Just like our ancestors did for you the last time!“

"The last time?”  Luffa asked.  

“The Plantians believe that you’re the reincarnation of Old Darbock,” Keda said.  

Luffa stared at her.  "Reincarnation…?“

"All hail the Violent Savior!”  Cried one of the delagation who could no longer contain his excitement.  As one, all of the Plantians began to sing.

“ _♩ Fahoo fores, ♩ dahoo dores ♫.._.”

Luffa looked at Keda, who shrugged.  She looked back at the Plantians, hoping they would wrap it up soon before it became awkward.  

The Plantians did not oblige.  

********

* * *

_**[8 July 236 Before Age.  Luffasworld.]** _

“All I’m saying is that you could have gone with Zatte and Doc,” Luffa said.  You didn’t have to stay here just to keep me company.”  

“I _wanted_ to stick around,” Keda said.  "I wanted to see what this shelter of yours looked like.  Zatte told me this was a Saiyan design.“

Luffa tasted the stew she was working on an smacked her lips with approval.  "Yeah.  Doesn’t look like much, but it’s good and sturdy, and it keeps the rain out.  Always wanted to build one of these, really.”

“You’ve never made one before?” Keda asked.

“Never needed to,” Luffa said.  She closed the lid of the slow cooker and licked the ladle clean before putting it in a bucket of soapy water.  “My family always preferred to stay mobile.  Can’t say I’m any different, but it feels good to sort of put down roots, even if they’re not for keeps.  Come on, let’s check the pit.”  

They headed outside and Luffa squatted over a barbecue pit she had dug in the ground, and carefully removed its contents.  Behind her, at a respectful distance, the Plantians all sat in the grass and watched her every move with fascination.

“Guess Old Darbock never cooked for these guys two thousand years ago,” Luffa said.  "Otherwise they wouldn’t be so interested in what I’m doing.  Well fine.  Just proves who the better Super Saiyan really is.“

"How much food did you put down here, anyway?” Keda asked.  She stood next to Luffa with a tray, upon which Luffa laid chunks of meat and tubers.

“Should be enough to cover everybody,” Luffa said.  The wind shifted, and she winced as the smoke blew into her face.  "I figure these guys don’t eat much.“

"What about you?” Keda asked.

“Oh, I already had dinner.  Found this big animal out in the West Plains before I flew back here.”  As she said this, she absentmindedly patted her abdomen.  "Besides, these guys keep bringing me baskets of bread.“

"It’s a ritual,” Keda said.  "Their ancestors used to do it for–“

"For the 'Violent Savior’, yeah, I get the idea.”   Luffa tasted a strip of meat and nodded in approval.  "At least they finally stopped singing…“

"They brought plenty of their own food on their ship,” Keda said.  "You don’t have to cook for them like this.“

"Bite your tongue, Keda,” Luffa said.  "I didn’t invite these guys over, but they’re still _guests_.  Besides, I owe them, don’t I?  Even if I _wasn’t_ Old Darbock in a past life, I’m probably his descendant.    And even if I’m not related to the guy, the stories about him were a big deal to me growing up.  If these guys hadn’t taken care of him two thousand years ago, well, maybe I wouldn’t be here today. That’s worth a meal or two in my book.“

"Darbock saved their planet, though,” Keda said.  "Doesn’t _that_ make it even?“

"Liberating a planet?  Kid stuff, I do that all the time.  It’s a warm-up,” Luffa said.  "I bet Darbock didn’t even break a sweat.“

"But–”

Before Keda could argue, Luffa laid one more cut of meat on the tray, and pointed to the Plantians.  "Okay, that should serve five of them,“ she said.  "Go on and pass it out and I’ll set you up for the next five.”

As Keda went to work, Luffa admired the aroma of the pit, then suddenly noticed a strange odor, like sulfur.  For a moment she wondered if something had gone wrong with her barbecue pit, and then suddenly a great ball of smoke appeared on the hilltop, and it glowed bright white.  When the light faded and the smoke cleared, four humanoids stood before her.  

The tallest of them was dressed like a warrior, though Luffa wasn’t impressed with his power.  "Your dimension door has worked, Slimgrade!“ he announced.  

"Aye, Laverius,” said a white-haired old man in purple robes.   “But to traverse such a great distance has exhausted my mystical energies.  Must… rest.”

“Soren!” cried the shortest of the group, a young man with pointed ears.  "Quickly!  My infra-vision shows that Slimgrade needs your healing powers!“

"I shall see to him, Andil,” said a shapely blonde woman.  She wore mail and leather armor, but not nearly enough to adequately protect herself.  "But my powers sense that the one we seek stands before us!“

Luffa approached them, and the angry look on her face was more than enough to make Andil nervous.  

"Oh my.  Er, hello?” Andil said nervously.  His pointed ears were twitching.  "We, ah, had an appointment?“

At this word, Luffa stopped in her tracks.   "Oh, you _did_ , did you?” she asked, looking over at Keda, who looked away and grinned uncomfortably.  

*******

_**[12 July 236 Before Age.  Luffasworld.]** _

Luffa had come to this planet to train, but lately, she hadn’t been making any headway.  Today, in the humid tangle of a rain forest, she resolved to fix that.  

Her plan was simple:  By rapidly transforming between her normal form and her Super Saiyan form, she would force her body to acclimate to–

“Madam Federatrix.”

Luffa turned and found a glowing, life-size image of a woman in a flowing white gown.  "Oh, you have _got_ to be kidding me,“ she snarled.  

"I am grateful that you have agreed to meet with me, for my business is most urgent,” the image went on.  

“And what do _you_ want?” Luffa asked, but the image ignored her.  

“That is why I have transmitted this recorded message via astral plane, to confirm our appointment in two weeks–”

Luffa screamed and flew straight back to the house.  

*******

* * *

There, she found Keda curled up on a lounge chair, busily tapping away at her mobile planner.  

“ _What are you up to?_ ” Luffa demanded.  

“I don’t know what you’re talking about–” Keda began to say, but Luffa cut her off.  

“All these _meetings_ ,” Luffa fumed.  "I just got a recording reminding me of another one coming up in two weeks.“

"I told you,” Keda said, “A lot of these people have been waiting a long time to see you, and you’ve been on the go so much that–”

“No, no, _no_!” Luffa shouted.  "I know how you think, Keda.  The Plantians believe I’m the reincarnation of their ancient hero, back to usher in a new era of peace and prosperity.  Slimgrade’s an apprentice mage on a quest to find his mentor, and his divinations told him he’d have to forge a wand with the hairs of a legendary beast if he wanted to survive the next leg of his journey.   Duchess Vera wants a photo op because half her constituents think I’m a war nymph from out of their mythology.  It’s all fluff!   You wouldn’t book these people to meet me without some other reason.  You’re too practical for this!“

"Look, they kept calling and I wanted to get them out of our hair–”

“I have to train, Keda!” Luffa insisted.  "The Shockmaster’s not going to stay put forever, and I have to be ready for him!  Only I _can’t_ , because you’ve got me doing _meet-and-greets_ with every jerk in the universe!“

"You’re blowing this out of proportion,” Keda said meekly.

“You’re _afraid_ ,” Luffa said.  "That’s what’s going on here.  All of this is some sort of weird plot to protect yourself.  That’s the Dorlun way, right?  Survival above all else.  Only that’s dumb because there’s _nothing dangerous_ around here!  It’s an empty planet, or at least it _used to be_ until you started passing out invitations!“

"It’s not like that…”

“Kid, I’ve always looked out for you, haven’t I?  That’s why I told you to stay behind when I fought the Shockmaster.  I was sure I’d win, but I still wouldn’t have bet your life on it.  I know how it is with you.  You like to play it safe.  I get it.  You _know_ that, right?”

“I know,” Keda said.

“Look, if you’re worried about the Shockmaster, don’t be.  He wouldn’t go out of his way to come here.    He… well, he doesn’t see me as a threat.  I promise, the next time I fight him, it’ll be on my terms.”

“I know that too,” Keda said.

“The what’s the _problem_?” Luffa asked.

They stood there quietly for a minute.  Luffa wanted to go on demanding an explanation, but she had run out of words.  All she could do was wait for Keda to reply.  

“Take off your gloves,” Keda finally said.

“What?  Why?”

“Just _do it_ ,” Keda said.  She set down her planner and stood up.  

Luffa wanted to refuse, but couldn’t think of a good reason, so she peeled off the glove from her right hand and held it up for Keda to see.

“No, not the glove,” Keda said.  "Show me your _hand_.“

Luffa grumbled indignantly and turned her palm outward for Keda to see.  There was scar tissue in the center, and scabs in roughly the shape of her fingernails.

"Satisfied?” Luffa asked.

“And the other one looks the same way,” Keda said.

“So what?” Luffa snorted.  "I get worked up a lot when I fight.“

"Doctor Topsas thinks there’s more to it than that,” Keda said.  "He thinks you let people get in free shots for no good reason.“

"The _reason_ is so I can get their measure,” Luffa shot back.  "He’s a damn doctor, so what does he know about fighting?“

"Is that how you got those scars?” Keda asked.   “From fighting?   Whenever you wrecked the gym on the star-yacht, who were you fighting then?”

“That… that’s personal…” Luffa stammered.

“What’s the matter?” Keda asked.  "The Shockmaster won’t come here, right?  So what are you so nervous about?“

"Back off, kid,” Luffa said.

“Or what?  You’ll _fight_ me?    I thought you were going to protect me?  But who’s going to protect _you_ from _yourself_?”

“That’s not…” Luffa wasn’t sure what to say next.

“I’m not worried about the Shockmaster,” Keda said.  "And no one else in the galaxy can touch you, even if they knew you were here.  What I’m worried about is _you_.  You act like your own worst enemy sometimes.  I know some of that is to keep yourself motivated.  I remember your dad and Kandai were like that too, back on the colony.“

She approached Luffa and pointed at her hand.  "But none of the other Saiyans I’ve met _ever_ do _anything_ like this.  On the ship, I figured I’d be close by in case you really hurt yourself, but out here on this planet… I’m worried about what’ll happen if you do something really dangerous and there’s no one around to help.”

Luffa looked down at the floor.  "You invited the Plantians here to help keep an eye on me,“ she said.  

"I didn’t tell them why,” Keda said.  "They’re just honored to be here.  Listen, just tell me why you do this to yourself.  If it’s really no big deal, then explain it to me.  Convince me it’s nothing and I’ll drop it.“  

Luffa looked at her hand and frowned.  "To be honest, kid, I don’t really know.  Even the weakest Saiyans have to learn to throttle their powers when they go into space.  If you don’t stay disciplined, you can punch a hole in the hull and die in seconds.  I spent half my life on spaceships, and I never had any trouble keeping myself under control, but when I first turned Super Saiyan, I was so… _angry_.  I just needed to hit something, you know, only I knew if I started I wouldn’t be able to stop.  But I needed to take it out on _something_ , and the only thing on board that was tough enough for that kind of punishment was… well, me.”

“Luffa…”

“That’s why I saved up the money to buy this planet,” she added.  "Here, I can really cut loose without hurting anybody.  Only…  I guess I never stopped doing what I was doing…“

Luffa went to a chair and sat down.  She was quiet for several minutes, and finally Keda sat down beside her.

"I didn’t want to embarrass you or anything,” Keda said.  "But I worry about you, and I didn’t know what else to do.  All I know is that you’re a lot more responsible when there’s other people around, so I thought that would help.  As much as the Plantians bugged you, you still cared about them a lot, and I knew you’d be careful just for their sake.  I know you wanted to be alone, where no one else could get hurt, but _you_ could still get hurt.  Before, I could just pretend you were indestructible, but after the fight with the Shockmaster, well–“

"I’m not,” Luffa admitted.  "You know, Kandai figured out a lot of what you’re saying.  If I’d been smart, I would have finished him off immediately, but I kept putting it off, because I couldn’t stand the idea of just killing him in a single blow.  I wanted him to _hit me back_ , just so I could tell myself it was a real fight.“

She held up her hand and looked at the scars.  "Maybe that’s what this is all about.  I want a good fight, but I’m so strong that it’s almost impossible to find one.  So I’ve been hurting myself to kind of… tide me over?  It doesn’t seem to make sense when I say it out loud.  Maybe that’s why I avoided talking about it…”

“Look, I’m sorry for booking all these people and disrupting your training,” Keda said.  "I can cancel Duchess Vera, and the Plantians will understand when I tell them they have to leave.“

"A corpse won’t get any stronger…” Luffa murmured.  

“What’s that mean?” Keda asked.  

“Something my mother used to tell me,” Luffa said.  "I’ve been approaching my training all wrong.  I’m trying to push my limits, but all I’m really doing is just hurting myself.  And that might make me a _little_ stronger, but it doesn’t address my weaknesses.“  

"I don’t follow you,” Keda said.  

“The Plantians can stay as long as they want,” Luffa said.  "And anyone else on their way here is welcome.  Got it?“

"Well… sure, but why?”

“Because you’re right,” Luffa said.  "I _am_ more responsible when there’s other people around.  Somehow I need that responsibility to rub off onto my training.  If I’m all by myself, I’m likely to wallow in self-pity.  That’s a luxury I can’t afford anymore.“

"But won’t all these people get in your way?”  Keda asked.

“Probably,” Luffa said with a grin.  "Even if they don’t, they’ll drive me nuts just by being here.  But this isn’t a vacation.  I’m subjecting myself to harsh climates and extreme conditions.  A photo-op with Duchess Vera ought to fit right in.  If I don’t like it, then I just need to get my butt in gear and work harder, that’s all.“

"I’m not sure that makes sense…” Keda said.  

“You’re right, I still need to figure it all out,” Luffa said.  "But you’ve hit on something.  I can practically _taste_ it now, and I’m not letting it go.“

She began pacing around the room, muttering to herself and pumping her fist excitedly.  Then she noticed Keda staring at her and stopped to look back.  

"Well, go on,” Luffa said. “Get to work.”

“Uh, sure!” Keda said.  She fetched her mobile planner and started tapping on the display.  "Did you need anything else while I’m at it?“

"Just one other thing,” Luffa said.  "In case I forget to say it later.“   

"Go ahead,” Keda said.  

“Thanks, kid.”

**NEXT: For the Saiyan Who Has Everything.**


	55. Chapter 55

_**[8 July 236 Before Age.  Hobstot III.]** _

**(Dr. Feelgood, Part ①)**

Certain parts of the galaxy would consider Hobstot III a backwater world, but in the sparsely populated region surrounding the galactic core, it was a major economic center.  The otherwise insignificant planet boasted the only major spaceport hubs for several hundred light years in any direction.  Large sections of the planet remained uninhabited, but the cities were big enough and busy enough that it was possible for a traveler to think he was visiting a much more important planet than it actually was.  

This was a great relief to Dr. Topsas.  He normally found busy streets to be somewhat of a nuisance, but after weeks of isolation on a deserted planet like Luffasworld, he found the crowds of aliens to be almost refreshing.  

“‘Scuse me,” said a robot as he inched past Topsas to slip around a group of people.  Topsas managed to move one of his eight limbs out of the robot’s way, but he was too slow to move the second, and the machine brushed up against it as he moved.  

“'Scuse me,” the robot said again.  It looked to see who it was addressing, noticed Topsas, and remarked.  "Oh, you’re the same guy.  Never mind.“

The group the robot was trying to avoid was having a rather heated conversation about travel arrangements, and Topsas decided he should move away from them just in case it became violent.  He found Zatte a few meters away, eating a local confectionery and tapping her foot in time with a nearby street musician.  

"You haven’t finished already, have you?” Topsas asked as he approached her.  

“No, I’m just taking a break,” the Dorlun woman said.  She pointed to the musician and grinned.  "This guy likes deep thulium stuff even more than I do, and I couldn’t pass that up.“

She was a humanoid, 66 inches tall, with blue skin that fluoresced slightly when exposed to certain types of artificial lighting.  Her left eye had been lost in a terrible battle, and she wore a black eyepatch to conceal it.  Her remaining eye featured a brilliant green iris surrounded by a sclera of almost the same color.  She reached into the pocket of her grey jacket and tossed a few coins into the musician’s hat.  

"Deep thulium?” Topsas asked.

“It spun out of the heavy lanthanoid scene about forty years ago,” Zatte explained.  At least, Topsas assumed that was what she was trying to do.    "Little more twang, not as much pep.  You ever listen to Fabian Fitzroy?“

"I, er, don’t know the gentleman, I’m afraid.” Topsas said.  

“Well, he’s a sellout, but that’s the guy everyone associates with the genre, is why I ask.  Take it from me, the really good lanth music is heavy, and the best heavy lanth is deep thule.”  She began nodding her head to the rhythm and the short, straight hair of her bob swung back and forth.  Finally, she thanked the musician for the song, and led Topsas down the street.  

“Thanks for coming along, doctor,” Zatte said.  She took the little red fruit off the top of her snack and put it in her mouth.  "I get distracted easily in places like these.  If you hadn’t shown up when you did I probably would have listened to that guy play all afternoon.“

"Yes, well I am a little surprised to see you enjoying yourself in a place like this, Ms. Zatte,” Topsas remarked.  "I had thought the Dorluns to be a reclusive culture.   Perhaps my acquaintance with Keda has colored my impression of your species.“

"No, she’s fairly typical,” Zatte said.  "Find a nice, quiet place in the middle of nowhere and she’s content to stay put.  Most Dorluns would be.   I’m the weird one.  The Makyans wouldn’t _let_ me hole up somewhere and stay out of harm’s way, so I picked up a few interests.  Besides, there’s something to be said for hiding in plain sight.“ She waved her hand at the throngs of aliens surrounding them.  "Even if an enemy knew to look for us here, how would they find us in a crowd like this?”

“Indeed,” Topsas said as he and another pedestrian moved to avoid one another.  "Forgive me for saying so, but your species seems ill-suited for hiding, Ms. Zatte.  You and Keda have the ability to camouflage yourselves, but other Dorluns do not, correct?“

She nodded.  "You’re right.  I’ve always felt my culture puts too much emphasis on avoiding adversity, rather than overcoming it.  I used to wonder if the Black Water Mist had intensified that attitude, but I’ve been cured for months now, and I still feel the same way.  I guess it just forced me to face things I didn’t want to express out loud.  Maybe that’s why Keda and I have such a hard time getting along these days.”

“She has proven quite adaptable in the past,” Topsas said.  "I am confident the two of you will adjust in time.  What I don’t understand is how your ancient ancestors managed to avoid natural predators.“

"Aposematism,” Zatte said.  

“I’m afraid I haven’t heard of that style of music either,” Topsas said.  

“No, I’m talking about natural warning signals,” Zatte said.  She pointed at her bright red hair and then gestured at her cerulean face.  "Most carnivores in the galaxy would think twice before eating something this colorful.“

"You’re poisonous?” Topsas asked.  

Zatte laughed.   “Definitely maybe.  The leading theory is that there was another species on the planet we originated on, and _they_ must have been poisonous, and we evolved similar coloration to imitate them.  That, or my ancestors _used to be_ poisonous, but gradually lost that ability over time, until all we have left are the warning colors.  Or I really _do_ have some toxin in my system, but it only works on an animal that may have died out a long time ago.”

“Remarkable,” Topsas said.  

“I would have thought you’d already guessed all that for yourself, though,” Zatte said.  "You being a doctor and everything.  I figured you had seen it all by now.“

"On the contrary,” Topsas said.  "I’ve never encountered a sapient mammal species with such a feature.  This is precisely why I specialized in vertebrate medicine.  Truly fascinating…“

He began to talk at length about an amphibian patient he had treated years ago, and a bureaucratic mix-up that had led him to think the fellow was poisonous when he actually was not.  Neither of them noticed the robot he had bumped into earlier.  It kept its distance, but it had been watching them carefully…

*******

* * *

**(Dr. Feelgood, Part ②)**

"This is hopeless,” Zatte said.  "We’ve been shopping all day and I haven’t found anything.“

"That’s not quite true.  You found that scarf made of beetle’s wings,” Topsas pointed out.  "I still think that would make an excellent accessory.“

"No, that won’t do at all…” Zatte muttered.

They had been to three other bookstores already, in spite of the fact that Luffa had little to no interest in literature.  Even if that wasn’t the case, it was doubtful that the fourth store would offer a notably different selection than the others.  It seemed to Dr. Topsas that Zatte was going around in circles.  She reminded him of some of his children when they were younger, as they became tangled in their own weavings.  It struck him that mammals like Luffa and Zatte were far too hasty for their own good, constantly preferring useless action over thoughtful inaction.  But he understood little about humanoid courtship, and supposed that such useless hassle could actually be the whole point.

“Why are you so determined to give Luffa a gift in the first place?” Topsas asked.  "The two of you will be married soon.  What higher token of esteem is there?“

Zatte turned away from the shelf and sighed.  "I let Keda get in my head, that’s the problem,” she admitted.  "Luffa got me that suit I almost never wear, and Keda convinced me it was this big romantic overture by Saiyan standards.“

"That does sound like a bit of a stretch,” Topsas agreed.

“But what if it’s not, though?” Zatte went on.  "Her people are so repressed with this sort of thing.   Maybe Keda’s right, and if she is, then it would have been a very difficult gesture coming from her, and here I am not really appreciating it.  I don’t want to leave her hanging, right?  I need to reciprocate.  I have to show her that she can open up to me.“

"I would submit you have already done that by accepting her proposal,” Topsas said.

“It’s not that simple,” Zatte said.  "Well, maybe it is for Saiyans, but where I come from, family is all about looking out for one another. Any idiot can say 'yes’, but in a real partnership you have to understand the other person’s needs and vulnerabilities, so you can support them where they need it the most.“

Topsas considered this for a moment.  "Then this is a test of your devotion,” he finally surmised.

“I guess you could put it that way, sure,” Zatte said.  "But what do you get for someone who doesn’t need anything?  She cooks her own meals, she fights her own battles, and she has her own planet.  We had to borrow _her_ spaceship just to get here.“

"What about those dolls she collects?” Topsas suggested.  

Zatte rolled her eye.  "Oh _those_ ,“ she said.  "Keda already suggested that idea to me, but it’s a non-starter.”

“Why is that?”

She opened her mouth to answer, but suddenly a shot rang out, and a large alien standing next to them collapsed.  

“Get down!” Zatte shouted, as she shoved Topsas behind a nearby display.  

“What was that?” Topsas asked.  By now, the rest of the customers in the bookstore had begun to panic.  Several more shots rang out, and they started to run for the exits.  

“Someone brought a weapon into the shop,” Zatte said.  "Sounds like something propellant-based, but it seems to be coming from multiple directions.“

"That fellow over there is hurt,” Topsas said.  "I should–“

"We need to help ourselves first,” Zatte said.  She took hold of one of his hands and concentrated.  From Topsas’ perspective, it seemed as though the entire room had gone dark.  

“What happened to the lights?” he asked.  

“That was me,” Zatte said quietly.  "I used my powers to warp the visible light around ourselves, making us practically invisible.  The lights are still on, but most of it is being deflected before it can reach our eyes, so we can’t see.“

"What good can that possibly do us?” he asked.  

“Keep your voice down,” Zatte whispered.   “I can manipulate light and other forms of energy, but not sounds.  If the shooter is nearby he might find us by our voices.  Anyway, my powers let me see a wider range of light, like infrared and ultraviolet, so I can let those wavelengths through, and see well enough to lead us around.”

“Excellent.  Then you can lead me back to that injured man and camoflauge him the same way, correct?”

“Doctor, we have to–”

“Ms. Zatte, I must insist.  If you wish to withdraw, you must do so without me.”

After a tense silence, he finally heard Zatte’s reply in the darkness: “All right, we’ll do it your way.  Maybe this will show us what we’re up against.”

*******

* * *

**(Dr. Feelgood, Part ③)**

There were six restrooms in the shop, each outfitted to accommodate a variety of life forms and their various excretion methods.  As Dr. Topsas tended to his patient, Zatte kept glancing at the nearest one, and thinking that it would be the perfect place to take cover.  Even if their assailant knew they were inside, he would still only have one possible avenue of attack, and that would give Zatte the advantage.

The shooter seemed to be hanging around the upper mezzanine of the store, using the shelves and guardrails for cover.   However, he was also firing from multiple locations, sometimes leaping down to the lower level, only to hop back up to the high ground.  By now, Zatte was reasonably certain that everyone else had fled the building, but the shooter was still leaping around and firing anyway.  Her best guess was that the shooter couldn’t find them, but hoped to flush them out.

And that was the trouble with using the restroom for cover.   They would be safe once they were inside, but there was no way to be sure they could get inside without being spotted as they opened the door to enter.  Zatte could make herself and Topsas invisible, but if she did anything to the door, the shooter might see it and know to shoot in that direction.    

“I believe our friend will survive,” Topsas whispered.  "He’s a Gnurlian, and his thick hide seems to have protected him from serious injury.  I believe he is only unconscious because of some sedative in the dart that hit him.“

"Dart?” Zatte asked.

“Yes,” Topsas said.  He held up the projectile with one hand as he used three more to wrap silken bandages around the Gnurlian’s wound.  "The Tikosi used similar weapons against us when we rescued Luffa from their laboratory.  The chemical agent is different, but the effect is undoubtedly the same.“

"How can you tell all that?” Zatte asked.  "You can’t even see anything.“

"By touch,” Topsas said.  "And by smell.  My species is especially sensitive to vibrations.  Of course, I had gotten a brief look at this fellow beforehand, and I have enough knowledge of Gnurlian physiology to tell that his pulse and breathing seem normal.  The odor of this object, however, is quite unusual.  It smells of osmium and gunpowder, and while I cannot be specific, there’s a coating of something which resembles sedatives I have encountered in the past.“

"That thing looks like the nib off a fountain pen,” Zatte said as she looked at the dart.  

“Ironic,” Topsas whispered.  "That your one eye should see more clearly than my eight.  The stuff of allegory, really.“

"I don’t get it,” Zatte said, carefully taking the dart from Topsas’s hand.  "This thing might be sharp enough to break the skin, but it’s a completely nonsensical design for ammunition.  No wonder the shooter missed.“

"You believe he was aiming for us?” Topsas asked.

“He had to be,” Zatte replied, glancing back at the restroom door.  "Everyone else ran outside, and he’s still here.  The local authorities will show up soon, so he must be hoping to finish us off before then.“

"But why us?” Topsas asked.  "Could it be one of Luffa’s enemies?“

"I don’t think so,” Zatte said.  "The Saiyans would have leveled this whole city by now, and the Shockmaster doesn’t see Luffa as a threat.   You and I would be beneath his notice.  She’s made a lot of enemies, but none of them would be dumb enough to cause a ruckus like this with such a crappy weapon.“

"What should we do?” Topsas asked.  

“If I had one of my own weapons, I could return fire,” Zatte said.  "End this in a hurry.  But there’s no use in… wait, I thought you said he was unconscious.“

Topsas looked back at the Gnurlian–a useless gesture, since he couldn’t see him no matter where he looked.  Instead he heard him, moaning softly between heavy, labored breaths.

"Snails…” he murmured.  "S-snails…“

"What’s 'snails’?” Zatte asked.

“He’s coming around,” Topsas said.  He felt the man’s upper body to check his vital signs again.  "Sir?  Can you hear me?  I’m a doctor–“

"Snails!  Why is everything snails!?”

Suddenly he seemed to be wide awake.  Before Topsas could react, the Gnurlian scrambled to his feet and began swinging his arms.  "Snails!  Snails!  It’s all snails!“

"Hey, shut up!” Zatte hissed.  "That guy will find us for sure if you keep screaming–“

"Ms. Zatte, I fear you may have to use force…” Topsas suggested.  

“No,” Zatte shouted.  "Come on!“

The reply startled Topsas, and he felt himself being dragged by one of his limbs away from the Gnurlian’s insane howls.  

"I thought you said it would be too dangerous for us to move around the store,” Topsas protested.  

“That guy already got shot,” Zatte explained.  "One minute he’s out cold, and the next he’s screaming bloody murder.  Almost like our shooter planned it that way, like he was hoping that Gnurlian would help him flush us out somehow.“

"What are you saying?” Topsas asked.

“I don’t know,” Zatte admitted. “I haven’t figured it out yet, but I’m sure if I take the time to put that Gnurlian out of commission, the shooter will get a bead on us.  We need to keep moving, stay invisible, and keep away from both of them.”

Topsas heard a crash.  "What was that?“ he asked.  

"Damn!” Zatte muttered.  "The Gnurlian’s completely lost it.  He’s wrecking the whole store.“  

"Snaaaaaaiiiiiillllls!” the Gnurlian screamed.  

“Looks like I was right,” Zatte said.  "The shooter’s just letting that guy wander around.  I don’t know if he planned this or if he’s controlling him somehow, but we don’t want to get too close to him.“

"We cannot run forever,” Topsas observed.  

“I know,” Zatte said.  "With any luck we can make a break for the exits.  I just need to come up with a good diversion.  Our bogey has to be up in the mezzanine.  I can’t spot him, but it’s the perfect vantage for a sniper.  But if we get directly under his position, he won’t be able to see us, and that would give us a chance to take cover in one of the restrooms.“

"Why is everything snails?!” the Gnurlian howled.  Topsas was fairly certain he could hear him smashing a glass display case.  "It doesn’t make any sense!“    

"I was right,” Zatte muttered.  "Our bogey’s stopped shooting.  If he wanted to hit Snail-guy, he would have done it three times already.  Instead, he’s letting him rampage around while he waits for us to panic.  Well I–“

Suddenly an alarm went off in the building.    

"I smell smoke,” Topsas said.  "What if the enemy–“

Before he could complete the thought, a spray of water rained down on them, like an indoor thunderstorm.  

*******

* * *

**(Dr. Feelgood, Part ④)**

The fire suppression system in the building was an antique design that simply sprayed water from the ceiling all over the store.  This system was automatically triggered by a simple americium-based ionization detector.  It was child’s play to find this and burn a book directly underneath the detector, fooling it into thinking the entire room was engulfed in flames.  And once the water came down on his quarry, their camouflage became useless.  Whatever cloaking device they were using could only warp radiation around them.  Drops of water were a different matter, and now he could see their figures outlined by the hundreds of drops colliding with their bodies.  It wasn’t an ideal target, but they made things easier by staying together.  He watched carefully and found that he could just make out their voices over the noise of the water.

"Well, so much for that.  Head for that restroom, doctor!”

“But we shall be spotted–”

“He can see us anyway!   We’ve got no choice!”  

The shooter leaped around the mezzanine once more, took aim, and fired.   The arachnoid was first, as it was the prime target and the larger of the two.   He stumbled and collapsed a few seconds later, and he took some satisfaction in what must have been a direct hit.  The woman left him where he lay and kept moving.  Was she abandoning her companion, or drawing fire away from him?  It didn’t matter.   He leaped around to take up a new position, aimed to fire again–

And this turned out to be a mistake.  In the time it had taken to change positions, the woman had leapt onto the top of a shelf and flung herself toward the shooter.   He panicked and fired, but this didn’t stop her, and her nearly invisible body collided with the his, knocking him off the mezzanine railing.  

She began muttering something in some language he couldn’t recognize, and when he tried to get up off of the floor she grabbed he and started punching it in the face.  She was stronger and faster than she looked, and as the shooter absorbed her punishing blows, he realized that she had only appeared weaker and slower because she had been sticking close to the arachnoid.  The shooter’s body was covered in a sort of metallic armor, but it dented and crumpled against her fists.

Then, just as things seemed to be looking bad for the shooter, she suddenly became visible again, and her movements became sluggish.  There was a dazed look in her eye, and then she fell forward, collapsing on top of him.  Apparently the wild shot had hit her after all.    

He shoved the woman aside and rose to its feet.  He reached down and grabbed a handful of her soggy hair and lifted her up until she was in a kneeling position.  For a brief moment, he feared she might have been feigning helplessness, but then he spotted one of his nib-shaped darts was sticking out of the sleeve of her jacket.  

“Mission accomplished,” the shooter declared.

**NEXT: #Reference**


	56. Chapter 56

_**[9 July 236 Before Age.  Hobstot III.]** _

**(Dr. Feelgood, Part ⑤)**

“It’s better this way.  You gave a merry chase, arachnoid, but it will be I, Koda Shibike, who pens the final chapter of your career, bounty hunter.”

“I… beg your pardon?”

Dr. Topsas had awoken to find all eight of his limbs chained to the floor of a room he had never seem before.  The last thing he recalled was a bookstore on Hobstot III, where he and his friend Zatte had been ambushed by a very eccentric gunman.  He had been shot, but the ammunition in question was a dart shaped like the nib of a fountain pen, and the tip was coated in some sort tranquilizer.  It was a primitive, inefficient weapon with a limited range, but the shooter’s agility and precise movements had managed to compensate.

Topsas had grown somewhat accustomed to danger.  He had been on Extraliga when the Wist invasion began, and then he had been captured and detained in a prison camp run by fairies.  These and other adventures were precipitated by his association with the Super Saiyan Luffa.   Naturally, he assumed his captor was connected to her in some way.

But apparently not.  This man, Shikibe, seemed to have Dr. Topsas confused with someone else.  Under different circumstances, Topsas might have found it amusing to be mistaken for a dangerous bounty hunter.  Earlier, Zatte had explained to him that her species had evolved blue skin and bright red hair to serve as a warning to potential predators, but this was in fact a biological bluff.    Dorluns like Zatte weren’t actually poisonous, but their coloration was meant to mimic some other life forms who _were_.    Now, Topsas had found himself dealing with the flip side of that natural defense.    Shikibe had misidentified the doctor as a threat, and instead of avoiding him, he had chosen to attack.

“It is my great pleasure to defy those in power,” Shikibe rambled on.  "Society frowns upon my penchant for hunting and killing your kind.  They demand that I cease, and I, Koda Shikibe, refuse.  My editors demand that I draw original work instead of recolors of existing characters,  but I, Koda Shikibe, refuse.“

"From where I stand, Mr. Shikibe, the one in power is you,” Topsas replied gently.  "Would you believe me if I told you that I am a physician, and not a bounty hunter?“

"A pointless, desperate ruse.”

Topsas regarded the man carefully.  He was humanoid, rather pale in complexion, though it was difficult to be certain of his natural coloration because of all the green cosmetics he was wearing.  His hair looked like a pile of leaves clipped from a fake plant from a waiting room in one of Topsas’ old offices.  Around his forehead, Shikibe wore what might be generously called a ‘headband’, although it appeared to have been crafted from construction paper.  His pants were loose and baggy, while his shirt was comically undersized, barely covering his upper abdomen.

It was far too little to make an accurate diagnosis, but Topsas was beginning to suspect that the man was suffering from some kind of mental illness.  Perhaps some of his unusual behavior could be explained away as alien cultural pratices, but not all of it.  

At best, Shikibe had constructed an elaborate paranoid fantasy in which he was a fugitive murder.

At worst, Shikibe really _was_ a fugitive murderer.

As things stood, Topsas wasn’t sure there was much of a difference.

“Very well,” Topsas said evenly.  "Let us suppose that I am this bounty hunter, although I deny it.  How did you capture me so easily?“

"Your cover was admittedly brilliant,” Shikibe said.  "But you failed to consider the power of my Thoughtform.“

"Thoughtform?”

Koda laughed.  "On my homeworld of Abaj, everyone has the ability to generate physical manifestations of their mental energy.  Each has its own unique powers.“

He paused, and then without warning he cried out:   _"Dr. Feelgood!”_

Suddenly, a ghostly figure emerged from his body and stood beside him.  Topsas recognized this as the sniper who had attacked him and Zatte in the bookstore.  It vaguely resembled its master, although it looked more like a robot wearing a wide-brimmed hat and cradling an old-fashioned rifle.

“You rang?” it asked cordially.

“This was the creature that shot us,” Topsas said.

“The gun and ammunition are all part of my thoughtform,” Shikibe said proudly.  It raised its hand, revealing a set of claws on its fingertips which resembled the nibs of fountain pens.  Shikibe plucked one of them off and admired its appearance.

“I am an artist above all else,” he boasted.  "The appearance of Dr. Feelgood is an outward manifestation of the creative storm that constantly rages within me.    Just as ink from my pen infuses my aesthetic onto the blank page, anyone struck by these darts will fall under my influence.“

"That fellow you shot in the bookstore,” Topsas said.  "He went berserk.  I thought the dart was drugged, but it seems to have had no such effect on myself.“

"The darts _were_ drugged, not with chemicals, but rather a psychic energy which I can control,” Shikibe explained.  "There are limits depending on the biology of the target, but it’s a simple matter to induce extreme drowsiness in almost any life form.“

He glared at Topsas, then pointed at him, and all at once Topsas felt a profound weariness come upon him.  He couldn’t remember having ever been so sleepy.

"There, you see?” Shikibe asked.  "The effects of the dart will fade over time, but until they do, I can make you as sleepy as a college student cramming for final exams.“

And just when Topsas thought he would finally nod off, the effect was lifted, and he was suddenly as awake and alert as he had been a moment ago.  He then realized that this was how he had woken up in this place.  It was an unsettling experience to say the least.

"So you rendered me unconscious and brought me here,” Topsas said.  "To what end?  And what have you done with Zatte?“

"Whom?” Shikibe asked idly.

“The lady,” replied Dr. Feelgood.

“Ah, the _blue_ woman with the _red_ hair,” Shikibe said.  His voice was practically dripping with resentment towards those colors, as if they had personally wronged him somehow.  

“If you say so, chief,” Dr. Feelgood said.  "Everyone just looks kind of grey to me.“

"Fortunately, I can correct that oversight when I capture her likeness in sketches,” Shikibe said.

“Sketches?” Topsas asked incredulously.  "You mean to tell me that you brought us here to draw pictures of us?“

"Don’t be absurd,” Shikibe scoffed.  "I brought _her_ here to use as a reference for my sketches.  I brought _you_ here so that I can kill you and use your bodily fluids to blend green pigments for my work.  But I find that my models are more cooperative when I take hostages.“

Topsas was doing his best to remain calm, but he felt his pedipalps begin to quiver with unease.  If Shikibe noticed, he didn’t show it.  The Abajian simply turned and walked away.

"First, I must perform my daily finger stretches,” he announced to no one in particular.  "Then I must alphabetize my collection of Fabian Fitzroy paper sleeves.  Discipline above all.“

As he opened the door to leave, he flipped a switch on the wall, activating a second set of lights in the room.  Topsas thought nothing of this at first, but then he heard a low mumble, and noticed Zatte sitting in a chair twenty feet away.

*******

* * *

**(Dr. Feelgood, Part ⑥)**

"He sounds like an idiot,” Zatte groaned after Topsas informed her of their situation.  "I almost wish he _was_ one of Luffa’s enemies.  At least then there’d be a clear motive for all of this.“

"Whatever his motive, we appear to be at his mercy,” Topsas said.  "Apparently the only reason I’m alive is so that you’ll sit still for his portraits.“

"Sit still?” Zatte grumbled.  "I can barely move in this chair.  He’s got me trussed up with… wait, this stuff feels like fishing line.“

Topsas lowered his head as he looked at the bonds holding Zatte’s ankles to the legs of the chair.    "Yes, now that you mention it, I believe it is fishing line.  But you should be able to break free of that easily.”

Zatte struggled, but found she could do nothing.  "It’s no good,“ she said, gasping with exhaustion from the effort.  "He… must have… done something to me with… his powers.”

“That is distressing to say the least,” Topsas said.

“Pretty sure he only tied me to this chair to keep me from falling off of it,” Zatte said after catching her breath.  "At least he let me keep my clothes on.“

"Is the chair bolted down?” Topsas asked.  Perhaps if you could move closer we might–“

"Maybe he just wants to draw my face,” Zatte mused.  "It’s kind of flattering, really.  If he would have just asked me, I might have paid him for a copy.  Maybe given that to Luffa.  Beats looking around all day for a gift.“

"Ms. Zatte…”

“I don’t know, she probably wouldn’t get it,” Zatte said.  "'I see you all the time, Zattie, what do I need a drawing for?’  She has a really stunted sense of imagination, you know?“

"Ms. Zatte, are you feeling all right?”

“Heh.  I guess I _could_ get somebody to draw me in the buff.  'Here, honey, something to keep you _warm_ on those _lonely nights_ on the training ground.  Hee hee hee!  She’d be _mortified_!”

“Zatte, can you hear me?”

“No, no no.  I have to think of something else.  It’s kind of weird giving someone a picture of yourself as a gift, right? Right?  Yeah.  Wow.  Oh, right.  I can hear you, doctor.  What’s wrong?”

“I think our 'host’ has done more to you than merely sapping your strength,” Topsas said.

“Right, sorry,” she said.  "You’re right.  I feel a little light-headed.  Maybe it’s from trying to break free a minute ago.  Remember that?  That was weird.  Heh.  Don’t worry, doctor.  I’ve been in worse spots than this.  We’ll get out of this.“

"I fail to see how.”

“We Dorluns are survivors, Doctor.  The first step is to take stock of your resources.  I’ve got you, and you’ve got me.  This– _heh_!–power Shikibe has over me is canceling out my _ki_ , making me so weak I can barely move.   But I bet I can still make myself invisible.”

She concentrated, in spite of the inebriating effects of Shikibe’s power.  Each Dorlun had a unique ability which manifested at a certain age.  Zatte doubted that Shikibe could block this without knowing more about her species.  She mentally added that to her inventory of potential resources.  When she was reasonably sure she had warped the light all the way around herself, she asked the doctor: “Can you see me?”

“Not at all.  Nor can I see what possible good that does us,” Topsas said in a despondent voice.  

“It’s just a test,” Zatte explained.  "If my power still works, that means I should be able to manipulate other forms of energy as well.  Like the heat from these light fixtures.   If I could focus it all onto a piece of this fishing line I’m wrapped up in, then I might be able to melt it.“

"And then what?” Topsas asked.  "Weak as you are, you’d still be unable to act.  You’d merely slide out of that chair, as you said before.“

"One problem at a time, doctor,” Zatte said.

*******

* * *

**(Dr. Feelgood, Part ⑦)**

“All I’m saying is that maybe this doesn’t make a lot of sense.”

Koda Shikibe considered these words carefully as he flexed his fingers one by one, then shook his head.  "Impossible.  My scheme makes perfect sense.“

His thoughtform, Dr. Feelgood, stood beside him as they spoke.  "You keep killing all those arachnoids and taking their money,” he said patiently.  "Now they send this bounty hunter after us to get revenge, right?  Only he says he’s _not_ a bounty hunter, which makes a lot of sense, seeing as he barely put up a fight when we caught him.“

"He’s a bounty hunter,” Shikibe insisted.  "His people hired him to take revenge.  They see what I’ve done as mere crimes.  Bah!“  

He walked across the room to his desk, where he picked up a severed forelimb that had once belonged to an arachnoid.  As he continued speaking, he caressed it lovingly.  "I killed those creatures for the sake of ART, and nothing more!  To be sure, I did help myself to their financial accounts, and the art I produced from their deaths was popular enough to afford me a few creature comforts, such as this limited edition collection of Magical Girl figurines.”  He took a hobby knife from his desk and waved it at a shelf containing his prized collection, then he pointed it at Feelgood.

“Look, I’m sorry–” the thoughtform said, beggaring off.

“The truth is that I do none of this for mere _money_ , or any sort of _sadistic pleasure_.  My one goal is to further the progression of my _art_ , so that it may be consumed and appreciated across the entire universe.  And there is only one way to do that, and that is to use the hemolymph of arthropodic life forms, and why is _that_?”

“Uh… I don’t know,” the robot said.  

“For the COLOR, you uncultured _boor_ ,” Shikibe said.  He turned to his desk and stabbed the knife into a small spider that happened to be crawling upon its surface, then he turned back to the robot to show him the creature now impaled on the blade.  "Hemolymph brings out the perfect shade of green for lips, hair, clothing, anything at all!  Lesser artists may rely on cheap reds and blues, buying pedestrian art supplies made from common mineral pigments, or worse, hobbling along with digital media.  But I refuse!  No, I, Koda Shikibe will not be held back by abstractions like 'morality’ or 'color theory’ or 'common sense’.  If a thousand thousand sentient beings must die for the sake of my art, then so be it!“  

With that, Shikibe sat down at his desk and began to brood.  He put his heels on the edge of his seat and placed his elbows on his knees, steepling his fingers in a contemplative pose that looked very profound, or very awkward, depending on one’s point of view.   It might have looked more dignified if he weren’t staring at the severed forelimb on his desk.  

"I’m just saying that while we deal with these two, we might be leaving ourselves open to an attack by a _real_ bounty hunter,” Feelgood said.   “Either way, it’s probably not safe to stay here.  We should be packing up and looking for a new hideout, not sketching alien space babes.”

“It’s vital that I complete my sketches,” Shikibe replied.  "You’re an extension of my own consciousness.  You should understand this implicitly.“

Feelgood shrugged.  

"I require inspiration for my latest comic, _Charmy Green Lad_ ,” Shikibe explained impatiently.  "The character designs must be flawless–!“

"I thought you just traced over other people’s characters and changed the colors around, though,” Feelgood said.  

“Once I have captured the woman’s likeness, we can kill her and the bounty hunter, harvest the bounty hunter’s hemolymph, and _then_ we may prepare to relocate,” Shikibe insisted.  "I refuse to consider any other sequence of events.“

"Okay, okay,” the thoughtform said.  "Let’s just hurry up and get on with this.“

"I refuse,” Shikibe said stubbornly.  He raised his hands and began flexing his fingers once again.   “First I must finish my stretches.”

*******

**(Dr. Feelgood, Part ⑧)**

An hour had passed.  Zatte felt she was making progress, but at a very slow pace.  The problem was that the lighting in the room was very efficient, and produced very little ambient heat for her to work with.  Her next best choice was to use the heat from her own body, but this presented an entirely different challenge. By focusing too much heat into a specific part of her body at once, she risked burning herself.  Conversely, channeling that much heat at once meant drawing it away from the rest of her body.  She could draw additional heat from the air around her, but it was a tricky balancing act under the best of circumstances.  As it was, the intoxicating effects of Dr. Feelgood made it nearly impossible.  

Fortunately, she had a few things working in her favor.  First, there was a doctor just a few yards away, so if she ended up with frostbitten toes and second degree burns on her fingers, at least she wouldn’t have to go far for treatment.  

Second, there was that thrill she always experienced whenever she was in danger.  Her own culture frowned on enjoying these kinds of life-threatening situations, but she had a certain perverse appreciation for the way they honed her skills and focused her wits.  Right now, she needed all the focus she could get.  

Third, she had faith that Providence hadn’t allowed her to live this long only to die here in the lair of some hipster serial killer.  Months ago, Zatte had been blessed with an epiphany, and realized that her fiancée was an important part of the Divine Plan–a _xan'nil-Dor_.  The Dorluns survived so that whenever they encountered these people and places of destiny, that they would be able to help them in some small way.  Luffa herself was skeptical of this, but that wasn’t without precedent.  Privately, Zatte sometimes wondered if she might be wrong, but the epiphany had been too profound to reject.  At any rate, it was an excellent motivator.

Fourth, she had convinced Dr. Topsas to keep her talking while she worked.  Initially, this was just a ruse to keep the doctor’s mind off his own fear.  But Zatte had to admit that she probably would have gotten distracted several times by now if she had been in this situation alone.  

They didn’t know each other very well, at least aside from their mutual acquaintance through Luffa.  Fortunately, the Saiyan made a good topic of conversation.  For the last twenty minutes, they had been discussing the theological implications of a Super Saiyan _xan'nil-Dor_.  Topsas was respectful about it, but Zatte could tell he was unconvinced.  The important thing was that he kept her mind off the droplets of moisture condensing on her face as her body slowly dehumidified the room.  

“So what was the problem with the dolls?”  Topsas asked.  

“Huh?”

“In the bookstore, before we were captured, I suggested you give Ms. Luffa one of those dolls as a gift, for her collection,” Topsas explained.  "You seemed to think this was a blind alley.“

"Oh, right.  I forgot all about that,” Zatte said, somewhat unsettled by the weary sound of her own voice.  "Ha.  I’m a _liiiitle_ flighty right now, doctor.“

"Yes, which was why you asked me to keep talking to you.  I have done my best, but I find myself running out of things to talk about.”

“Okay, okay.  Okay,” Zatte said.  "First of all, they’re not 'dolls’.  They’re _action figures_.  Luffa’s very touchy about that.  Second of all.  Yeah.  Uh… third of all, she already has the whole set.   Pretty much.“

"I see.”

“I mean, there weren’t that many toys in the line anyway.  They made that stupid movie about her, what?  Last year?  She’s had plenty of time to track 'em all down.  I mean, there’s 'collector variants’, whatever that means.  Basically I can get her the same Rax Cosmo toy she already has, only with a maroon vest instead of blue.”  She winced as she felt too much heat gather in her left wrist.  It was relatively easy to disperse it throughout her arm, but it always took far too long.  "Besides, the toys are all a joke to her anyway.“

"A joke?”

“I mean, you played with toys, right?  The whole entire main point is to play out fantasy scenarios.  It prepares kids for the real world, y'know?”

“Now that you mention it, I had a doctor bag when I was small,” Topsas said.  "The equipment was all made of plastic, and I was a bit frustrated that none of it really worked, but the items fascinated me all the same.“

"That’s what I’m talking about.   That’s it.  Exactly,” Zatte slurred.  "When I was little, my uncle carved some dolls out of wood for me.  _Dolls_ , doctor.  _I’m_ not ashamed to call them that.“

"Of course, Ms. Zatte.”

“Not like _some_ people.”

“I take your point.”

“Some people named _Luffa_.”

“What did you do with these dolls, Ms. Zatte?” Topsas pressed.  

“I used to paint clothes on them,” Zatte said.  "Then I’d have them be soldiers.  I used to make forts out of old buckets and pots, and then station them all around it.  I’d pretend there was a _xan'nil-Dor_ in the fort, and our company was in charge of protecting it at all costs.“

"Interesting,” Topsas observed.  

“Anywayyyyy, Luffa never had toys growing up.  Her mother would fight her and tell her stories, but that was about it.  Kind of sad, really.  So these toys they made about her, she just thinks they’re funny because they’re based on that movie, which is just a made-up version of her life that never really happened.  There’s nothing inspirational about 'em.  Not to her.”

“Ah, I think I understand the problem now,” Topsas said.  "You’ve been looking for a gift that Luffa _will_ find inspirational, like the soldiers and castles of your youth.“

"Well, yeah… That’d be great.  Swelllll.   But where in the hell am I supposed to find–?”

“He’s coming back,” Topsas said suddenly.  

Zatte glanced at the door.  She wasn’t ready.  If Shikibe figured out what she was doing, he might decide to kill them both without delay.  

For a split second, she wondered if Topsas might have been imagining things, but then she heard a click from the vicinity of the door’s handle, and a droplet of condensed moisture ran down the side of her face.  

NEXT: Thus Spake Koda Shikibe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*******

_**[9 July 236 Before Age.  Luffasworld.]** _

“Are you okay?” Keda asked.  

Luffa sniffled a few times and held her hand over her nose.  "Yeah… yeah, I’m fine, kid,“ she said.  "Just had a sneezing fit all of a sudden.”

“Must be some kind of allergen in the air around here,” Keda said.   “Anyway, if you’re done, I can get back to my song.”

Luffa stood up and looked around the prairie for any sign of suspicious flowers, but decided there wasn’t much point in worrying about it.  She could always pick up her training on some other part of the planet.  This region was pleasant enough, but she hardly needed a scenic view for pushups.  

“What’d you call it again?” Luffa asked.

“The Egg Song,” Keda said proudly.  "Starts off like this… ahem…“

Luffa went to find a towel to wipe her face while Keda prepared to start.  

"Deviled, deviled, devillllled… Pickled, pickled, pickllllled… Scrambled, scrambled, scrambllllled… Coddled, Coddled, Coddllllled…”

“Wait, hold on,” Luffa interrupted.  "Isn’t this the same tune as 'The Liver and Onions Song’?“

"Yeah,” Keda said.  "I’m trying out different words.  I figure eggs will have more mainstream appeal.“

Luffa considered this for a moment, then nodded in approval.  "Damn, kid, you’re some kind of marketing genius.  I don’t know how you figure this stuff out, but I’m impressed.”

“Thanks,” Keda said.

Luffa sat down on the ground and gestured for her to continue.  

**[ <=To Be Continued….]**


	57. Chapter 57

_**[9 July 236 Before Age.  Hobstot III.]** _

**(Dr. Feelgood, Part ⑨)**

  
“Where is she?  And why is it so cold in here?”

As Koda Shikibe entered the room, Dr. Topsas gave no response to his questions.  Shikibe had kidnapped them after all, and Topsas could hardly tell him the truth without revealing their attempt to escape.  Unfortunately, while their captor seemed to be quite mad, he was no fool, and it wouldn’t take Shikibe long to deduce the answer for himself.  

“Of course,” Shikibe said as a smug smile spread across his face.  "That woman–Zatte was her name, I believe– can make herself invisible.  She’s quite stubborn.  I know that from experience.  Before my thoughtform, Dr. Feelgood, could subdue her, she managed to inflict a considerable amount of damage upon him.“

Topsas regarded Shikibe without a word.  He seemed to enjoy the sound of his own voice, and as long as he stayed put in the doorway, there was no reason to be alarmed.  Their plan could still work.  

"I know this, of course, because any damage sustained by my thoughtform is psionically reflected back upon my own person,” he explained.  "It is thus for all of the thoughtform adepts on my homeworld of Abaj.  That was how I knew to use my power to cut off her ability to use _ki_ attacks, and to dull her physical strength.  After that, it was a simple matter of tying her to a chair with ordinary fishing line.  Or so it would appear…“

He paused and stroked his chin.  "That leaves two possibilities.  One: That she found a way to resist the effects of Dr. Feelgood, or used some other hidden power that I had failed to take into consideration, and managed to break free.  Two: That she has not broken free at all, and is in fact still in this very room.   But what purpose would that serve?  A trap?  Was I supposed to rush over to the spot where her chair used to be and fly into an impotent rage?  And then what?  I wonder…”

He reached into his pants pocket and withdrew a fountain pen, which he threw across the room like a miniature javelin.  It sailed directly through the position where Zatte had been sitting an hour ago, continued on its trajectory, and finally struck the drywall on the far corner of the room.  

“Ah, the plot thickens!” Shikibe announced to Topsas.  "Your friend hasn’t merely turned invisible to make me think she left the chair.  Somehow, she really has managed to move from that spot.  Perhaps she managed to untie herself, but since the door was locked from the outside, and the walls of this room appear to be in tact, I can only assume she is still here.  Lying in wait?  Perhaps she managed to find the strength to stand up, or even to hold the chair over her head, so she can bludgeon me with it as I approach.“

He shut the door to the room and locked it–this time from the inside– and took a step forward.   Topsas wanted to back away, but all eight of his limbs were chained to the floor.   Instead, his pedipalps fidgeted nervously.  

"No, I don’t think a trap is very likely.  Both of you were shot by Dr. Feelgood’s psionic darts, which give me a measure of power over your bodies.  It’s more effective with life forms whose biologies I understand.  Aliens are more difficult to control, but I get by. I was, after all, able to make you both fall into a deep sleep.   That was how I brought you both here, remember?  And if Zatte somehow managed to stand up, I could simply make her fall asleep, and the sound of her collapse would give away her position!   _Dr. Feelgood!”_

The thoughtform suddenly appeared beside Shikibe.   It was a humanoid of somewhat robotic appearance, with a wide-brimmed hat and a rifle.  However, nothing happened after that.  There was no sound.  Topsas knew there wouldn’t be.  

“Because she’s lying on the floor already!” Shikibe said with a snap of his fingers.  "Of course!  She’s hoping I’ll trip over her body, even if she’s fast asleep, which means she must have positioned herself very strategically indeed.  I would have thought her invisibility would wear off once she fell unconscious, but no matter.  I’m sure her death would put an end to this farce, but she must have realized that I cannot use Dr. Feelgood’s power to kill, since it depends upon the victims own mind to induce the desired effect.“

He pointed at Topsas.  "I could threaten to kill _you_ , of course,” Shikibe said, “and demand that she reveal herself to save your life.  But that would be pointless, since I had already made it clear that I intend to kill you in any event, and my earlier ultimatum that she pose for my sketches was clearly ignored.”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pen knife, which had a spider impaled on the blade.  He  raised it to his lips and carefully removed the dead animal with his teeth, and swallowed it.  "I suppose I may as well move on to killing you, arachnoid.  I had hoped to sketch your friend first, but since that isn’t an option, I see no cause for delay… unless _you_ are the trap.  Yes, that may be it.  She expected me to turn my attention to you, so she could ambush me while I drain the hemolymph from your corpse.“

He stopped to consider this possibility, weighed against all the others he had already considered.  "It seems I have outsmarted myself,” he mused.  "In the bookstore, I detected Zatte by using the sprinkler system, but I don’t have anything like that in this hideout.  I have no immediate means of finding her, and yet I must assume she’s laid a trap for me.  It seems the only sensible precaution is to withdraw, but I, Koda Shikibe, refuse!  If the only remaining option is to spring the trap, then so be it.“

He took a step forward, and then another, and then another, like a soldier treading carefully across a minefield.  Dr. Feelgood stepped carefully behind him.  Topsas watched him carefully, his pedipalps twitching with dread.  Less than two yards away from Topsas, Shikibe’s foot hit something, and Topsas felt as though one of his hearts had stopped.  

Shikibe reached down and felt the invisible object he had discovered.  "Ah, the chair,” he said calmly.  "Then that was her plan all along.  She knew I could incapacitate her, so she used this inanimate object as the trap.  I was supposed to stride confidently across the room, like a man rushing to cash in his winning lottery ticket.  Then I would have tripped over this, landing just close enough to you that you could reach me and perhaps strangle me with your chains, arachnoid.  A clever gamble.“

He rose to his full height and smirked at Topsas, who remained silent.  "But now that I’ve sprung the trap,” Shikibe gloated, “I can proceed to–AWK!”

The next step he took sent him falling face-first to the floor.  When he rolled onto his back, Topsas could see blood running down his face, suggesting he had hurt his nose in the fall.  Shikibe began to panic, jerking his left foot as if to pull free of some invisible weight, while he kicked with his right leg.  

“No!  No!,” he screamed. “ _Dr. Feelgood!_  She’s got me!  Make her fall asleep!”

The thoughtform hovered over Shikibe’s left leg, searching in vain for a target.  Topsas wondered if it could have taken more direct action against an enemy it could see.  As it was, the only thing the psychic creation could do was the same thing it had been doing all along, and that no longer seemed to be working.  

In a panic, Shikibe tried to drag himself away from the danger… and directly toward Dr. Topsas.  This terrified Topsas.  Not because of the extreme danger Shikibe posed, or because Zatte’s plan had backfired somehow.  Indeed, everything was working out  just as she had expected, and that was what bothered him.  

When Shikibe was within reach, he grabbed the humanoid with his forward pair of limbs and dragged him closer.  He was still struggling against the dead weight on his legs, and so he didn’t even register the danger until it was too late.  After a moment of hesitation, Topsas grasped Shikibe with his pedipalps, and sank his fangs into his left shoulder.

Now he had Shikibe’s attention, and as he cried out in pain, he rolled away in a panic from Topsas and started clutching at the spot where he’d been bitten.  Topsas made no effort to restrain him.  Instead he sighed with regret.  The damage was already done.  

*******

**(Dr. Feelgood, Part ⑩)**

In spite of the pain, Shikibe laughed.  "I believe you now,“ he said, gasping for breath.  His shoulder was already beginning to show signs of swelling.  "When you claimed to be a mere physician instead of a bounty hunter, I thought it to be a pathetic ruse, but I see you were telling the truth.  Not that it will save your life!”

“I am truly sorry, Mr. Shikibe,” Topsas said sincerely. “Please believe me when I say that I would never have done this if I had been afforded any other choice.  Fortunately, I am extremely familiar with the effects of my own venom.  You really ought to lie still.  Increased activity will only accelerate its spread through your bloodstream.”

“You think I need your pity?!” Shikibe scoffed.  "Next I suppose you’ll recommend that I unlock your chains so you can tend to my wound.  Well I, Koda Shikibe, refuse!  I have nothing to fear from your venom, *doctor*.  A true bounty hunter would have realized this!  You should have strangled me when you had the chance.“

"Mr. Shikibe, I only wish to help you.  If you continue struggling, you will only sustain further injury,” Topsas said calmly.  "Now, might you have a first-aid kit in this lair of yours?  Actually, I was carrying my medical bag when you first captured me, so if you had the foresight to bring that along–“

Shikibe laughed.  "Save your compassion for yourself!” he insisted.  "You’ve seen what my thoughtform can do to my victims, but you failed to consider that I can use it on myself just as easily!  Watch, as your hopes for victory crumble into dust!   _Dr. Feelgood!  Make Me Feel All Right!_ “

Until now, the thoughform had floated passively next to Shikibe’s body.  Now it vanished inside of its master, and after a few seconds Shikibe became surrounded by a faint green aura.  The swelling on his shoulder faded, until there was only a small purple blotch around the fang marks that looked vaguely like a star.  Shikibe stood, seemingly refreshed and invigorated.  

"Behold!  With the power of Dr. Feelgood Make Me Feel All Right, I can neutralize the effects of your poison!” Shikibe boasted.  

“That may be so,” Topsas said, “but you are still bleeding from your nose, and–”

“Quiet!” Shikibe screamed.  He searched for the pen knife that he had dropped when he fell, and then snatched it up from the floor and brandished it at Topsas.  “You gambled everything and lost!  I’m sure your venom is quite potent, but against the power of Dr. Feelgood, it’s about as useless as a teapot full of urine!   Now there is nothing to stand in my way while I put an end to your miserable existence.  But take heart, _doctor_.  Your life is being sacrificed for the purity of my art.  There is no higher honor possible, for–“

Suddenly, there seemed to be an unseen force tugging at his hand.  He struggled against it for a moment, and then he fell backwards, crashing into the far wall of the room.  His pen knife, however, did not accompany him on this journey, and it remained suspended in mid-air where he had been standing.  

Topsas breathed a sigh of relief.  "Are you unhurt, Ms. Zatte?” he asked.  

Around the pen knife, a blue-skinned hand appeared, and slowly the rest of Zatte’s body materialized with it.  Her red hair was black with moisture and her face was grim from exertion, but as she tossed the knife to the floor and started stalking towards Shikibe, she looked anything but helpless.  

“I knew you’d try to knock me out, Shikibe,” Zatte said.  She raised her other hand, which held a tangle of fishing line.  "So I tried to make sure you’d catch your foot on all this line, even if I was unconscious.  But as it turned out, I ended up burning my fingers while I tried to melt the stuff apart, and the pain helped keep me awake.“

Shikibe scrambled to right himself, and he pointed his finger at Zatte, as if to summon his thoughtform to defend himself, but he seemed to have second thoughts about that course of action.  Zatte continued to approach him.

"You might be able to incapacitate me,” she admitted.  "But you’re using all your power to ward off the effects of Dr. Topsas’ venom, aren’t you?  As soon as you did that, I woke up and felt like my old self again.  I’m guessing you can’t do both at once, can you?  So if you try to fight me, you’ll just succumb to the poison.“

For once, Shikibe had nothing to say.  He just held out his finger for lack of anything else to do.  

"Dr. Topsas didn’t want it to come to this,” she said.  “Hurting people, even people like you who want to kill him, it goes against his principles,” Zatte began cracking her knuckles.  "I didn’t like putting him in that position, but I knew he’d go along with my plan, because I know how strong the instinct for self-preservation can be.  That’s how I know you won’t try to resist me now, because you can’t bring yourself to let the poison do you in.  It’d be like chopping off your own foot.“

Shikibe began to whimper with fear, and Zatte bent down to grab him by the front of his shirt.  She lifted him over her head with a strength that belied her size.  

"I’m not thrilled about hurting you either,” she said.  "My culture believes revenge is useless.  You can’t eat it or live in it or keep warm with it.  But I need to make sure you won’t trouble us any further until we can turn you into the authorities.  I just want you to know I’m only doing this for practical reasons.“

She drew back her free hand and clenched it into a fist.  

"I won’t enjoy this,” she said.  "But like I said… self-preservation.“

With that, she began punching Shikibe’s face and abdomen over and over again, faster than Topsas’ eight eyes could follow.  He trusted her not to kill him, just as he knew she would break him free of his restraints so he could tend to Shikibe’s injuries, but he still found it difficult to watch.  Nevertheless, he kept watching, if only to keep better track of the full extent of Shikibe’s condition.  

It occured to Dr. Topsas that Luffa might have been very pleased to see her fiancée deliver such a decisive beating to a formidable foe.  Indeed, she probably would have enjoyed Dr. Topsas’ role in subduing Shikibe, brief as it was.  He found this idea very disturbing.  

When Zatte was finished with Shikibe, she went to Topsas’ side and began tearing apart the chains that held him to the floor.  "Are you okay?” she asked.  

“I am fine,” he said.  Now that he could see the burns on her hands, he became concerned.  "Let me take a look at–“

"That’ll have to wait,” Zatte said.  "Shikibe’s shoulder started to swell up again as soon as I knocked him out.  Your venom’s affecting him again.  I’ll try to find a phone in this place and get help.  And then we’ll have to talk to the local police…” 

She stopped and groaned.  “And on top of all that,” she added, “I _still_ don’t have a gift for Luffa…“

"Well,” Topsas said as he flexed his newly liberated limbs.  "I had an idea about that…“

*******

* * *

**_[13 July 236 Before Age.  Luffasworld.]_  
**

**(Dr. Feelgood, Part ⑪)**

The only permanent settlement on Luffasworld was a small dome-shaped house on a hilltop in the middle of a forest.  Zatte entered walked inside to find the owner of the planet sulking on the couch.  

"Welcome back,” Luffa muttered without turning her head to look at her.  

“What are all these aliens doing here?”  Zatte asked as she laid down several boxes and bags she had brought with her.  "They’ve set up some sort of shantytown in and around the lake.“

"Keda invited them,” Luffa said.  She draped one arm over her eyes and sighed.  “They’re helping me with something new I’m working on for my training.”

“Really?” Zatte said.  The whole point of Luffasworld was to give Luffa a remote place to apply her full power without diversion.  For Luffa to make such a radical change to her training regimen could only mean that she had finally made a breakthrough.  "So how’s it going?“  

"It’s _not_ ,” Luffa grumbled.  She glared at the ceiling of their house and crossed her arms.  "I’m starting to think I’ve peaked.“  

"You’ve dealt with this sort of thing before,” Zatte said.  “You told me the only thing you can do is push on through.”

“I know what I said, Zattie,” Luffa groaned.  "But let’s face it, it’s all guesswork.  I’m already so strong now that I have no idea how much further I can go.  What if this is it?  For all I know, I hit my limit days ago, and this is peak performance for any Saiyan, ever.“

"You don’t believe that.”

“Of course I don’t,” Luffa said as she planted her hands over her face in exasperation.   “Only because I’m too scared to think about it.  If I _believed_ it, I’d probably sink into a deep depression.   I mean, I’m only twenty-two, and what if I’ve already reached my maximum potential?  This is as strong as I can possibly get.  What am I supposed to do with the rest of my life?”

Zatte held on to one of her bags as she went to the couch.  "Move over,“ she said, patting Luffa’s feet until she swung them around to make room.  "You’re making too much out of this.  Just like the last three times you hit a plateau.”

“I know, I know,” Luffa muttered.  Now that she was finally sitting upright, she looked at Zatte for the first time and gasped.  

“What happened to your _hair_?!” she asked.

Zatte smirked with satisfaction.  "I tried curling it a little,“ she said, patting the side of her head to show it off.  "You like it?”

Luffa looked like a primitive humanoid who had never seen fire before.  "How…?“ was all she could ask.  She reached out towards Zatte’s hair, but seemed almost afraid to touch it.

"It’s not that big a deal.  You do it with a flat iron, Luffa,” Zatte said impatiently.   “Well, _I_ just used my fingers, since I figured out how to channel heat through them.  Wait, I forgot, Saiyan hair never grows out.  Sorry, you probably have no idea what I’m talking about.”

“I _guess_ I like it,” Luffa said.  "It’s different, but I never _really_ got used to the way it was before.  Or the way it was before that.“

"Aw, you poor confused kid,” Zatte teased.  "You know, you ought to let me do your hair sometime.“

"Do _what_ to it?” Luffa asked suspiciously.

“Style it,” Zatte said.  "You almost have a pixie cut as it is.  We could trim the sides, maybe give you a fade around the back of your neck.“

"Fade?”

“I mean cutting it really short,” Zatte said.  "To emphasize the volume on the top.  Yeah, maybe some highlights…“

"What’s the point?” Luffa asked.  "It’ll just grow back to this length no matter what.“

"It’s fun, that’s all.  You can play around with different looks.  They don’t have to be permanent.”

“Wait, can you make my hair _longer_?” Luffa asked.   “That way I could tie a mace to the end,“ Luffa said.  "My mother thought that was a stupid idea, but I bet I could make it work…”

“Your mother was a smart lady,” Zatte said.  

“It’s a good idea,” Luffa insisted.

“What do you need a blunt object for?” Zatte said.  "You’re the strongest Saiyan ever.“

"Don’t remind me,” Luffa groaned. She swung her legs back onto the couch and lay down again, this time with her feet on Zatte’s lap.  

“You’ll get past this,” Zatte said.  

“It’s not just about me,” Luffa said.  "If I’ve peaked, then so has my whole species.  This is as good as it gets for the whole Saiyan race.  Train hard, kids, and maybe you’ll get strong enough to turn into a glowing yellow freak and _still_ come up second-best to that Wistian clown in a stupid helmet.“

"Well now you just sound like your father,” Zatte scolded.  

“I feel like him right about now,” Luffa muttered.  "But you’re right.  'Self-pity is for men.’  That’s an old Saiyan proverb.“

"I like that one.”

“Me too.  I’ll figure this out, but it won’t be today.  Anyway, how was your trip?”

“Interesting.  We ran into a little trouble…”

This got Luffa’s attention, and she looked up at Zatte with a glimmer of excitement.  "Trouble, huh?  The good kind, I hope.“

Zatte held up the bag she was holding.  "I’ll tell you about it later.  In the meantime, I uh, got you something,” she said.

“Thanks,” Luffa said.  "But I just finished eating a little while ago.  Put it in the fridge, and we’ll have it for dinner tomorrow.“

"It’s _not food_ , you jerk,” Zatte said.  She tossed the bag onto Luffa’s chest.  "It’s a gift.“

"Well what is it?” Luffa asked.

“You’re supposed to open it,” Zatte said.

“You bought this and you don’t even know what it is?” Luffa asked.

“ _I_ know what it is,” Zatte said.

“Then why won’t you just tell me–”

“Look just _open_ it,” Zatte said.

“Fine,” Luffa muttered.  She took the bag and withdrew the box inside.  "You and your games, Zattie, I swear… Why is it wrapped like this?“

"The guy at the store said it was customary,” Zatte said.  "I thought it was a waste of paper, but it does look pretty.“

Luffa grumbled as she removed the last of the wrapping and opened the container inside to find a humanoid figurine.  She took it out of the box and examined it carefully.

"Hey, another action figure.  I thought I had ‘em all, but… Hey, this isn’t… wait, is this _Chanisp_?”  Luffa asked.

“Good, I wasn’t sure you’d recognize him,” Zatte said with a grin.

“ _Where did you get this?_ ” Luffa asked.  She got up from the couch and started pacing around in a tight circle, never taking her eyes off the toy.  "Are there others?  How did you–?“

"I knew you like those toys they made for that stupid movie they made about you,” Zatte said.  "And you already collected the whole line, so at first I thought it was a dead end.“

Luffa looked at the figure with an almost childlike sense of awe.  Zatte had never seen her like this before.  She kept turning the doll over in her hands, as though inspecting it from every angle.

"Turns out there’s a shop on Hobstot that specialize in _custom_ toys.  You submit a design, and they can mold the plastic in about two hours.”

“It looks just like the statue I found on Bigreen,” Luffa said.  "I told you about that, right?“

"Yeah, you told me,” Zatte said.  "I’ve never seen it myself, but Dr. Topsas has, and he drew a pretty decent sketch for me right there in the shop.  He’s modest about it, but I think he’s got real talent.   Must be in his blood.  Hemolymph.  Whatever.“

Luffa reached up to her head and started clutching at her hair while she admired the toy.  Then she checked the packaging and found a small accessory taped to the inside of the box.  "Aw, you even got a second head so he can transform…” she said.

“We weren’t sure how tall he would have been in real life,” Zatte said, “but we tried to make him to scale with the merchandise from your movie.  Hey, are you okay?”

Luffa went into the bedroom of the house without saying a word.  Zatte followed, and found her digging through a footlocker.  At last, Luffa pulled out a second toy, one that broadly resembled herself.  She held the two figures side by side and started chuckling.

“This is _great_ ,” Luffa said.  "I never thought they could make a toy out of somebody _real_.“

"You’re real,” Zatte said.

Luffa shrugged and held up the figure of herself.  "Yeah, but this isn’t really _me_ ; it’s the actress they got to _play_ me,“ Luffa said. "All these other toys they made are just guys they made up.  That’s why I think they’re so funny.  But _this_ …”

“I’m glad you like it,” Zatte said.

“You don’t understand,” Luffa said.    "My mother used to tell me our family was directly descended from Chanisp.  Of course, he had so many kids back then, every Saiyan’s probably related to him somehow.  But it didn’t matter.  I took a lot of pride in it, and them I found the statue and–“ she laid down one of the toys and started grabbing at her hair again– "We’re the _same_ , him and me.   I thought I was a freak, and maybe I am, but _so was he_ , and…”

She looked up at Zatte, as if seeing her for the first time.  "No, I guess you _do_ understand.  You wouldn’t have made this for me otherwise.“

"I just know you talk about Chanisp, and it sort of reminds me of the way I feel about you,” Zatte said.  "And I– hey!“

Luffa had rolled to her feet, crossed the room and scooped Zatte into her arms in the blink of an eye.

"Thank you,” Luffa said.  "I know I don’t say that often enough.“

"It’s okay,” Zatte said.

“Not it’s not,” Luffa said.  "I know you think I’m a big deal.  I was sore about you saving my butt back on Wist, but I know you _had_ to do it, on account of all this great stuff you think I’m supposed to do.  And I get it, but I also hate the idea of my wife stepping in because I can’t fight my own battles.“

"I know.  Believe me, the last thing I want to do is try to do things for you.  I only want to help.”

“Good, because you’re gonna get your chance,” Luffa said.  "I’ve got some ideas for the next time I run into the Shockmaster, and I think I might have a mission for you.“

"A mission?”

Luffa nodded.  "I’ll tell you about it on the way to the desert.“

"You’re going back out to train?” Zatte asked.

“Hell yeah,” Luffa said, her voice now full of confidence.  "There’s still some daylight, and I want to get your measure before I work out the details.  You’re allowed to spar with a _xan-nil’Dor_ , aren’t you?“

"Well, I suppose so…”

“Great!  I probably should have asked about that before now, I just sort of assumed.”

She carried Zatte all the way out of the house, and took off into the horizon.

##  **末**

**NEXT: The Lesson**


	58. Chapter 58

_**[26 July 236 Before Age.  Interstellar Space]** _

The wedding had gone smoothly, more or less.  Neither Luffa nor Zatte had any real interest in jewelry, so there were no rings.  The only physical symbol of their union was an unremarkable printout of a marriage certificate issued by the county clerk of Hobstot III’s capital city.  On the bridge of Luffa’s ship, Zatte sat at one of the crew stations with her feet on the console, and admired the paper copy with a contented grin.

The trip back to Luffasworld had been quiet.   Dr. Topsas had retired to his guest quarters several hours ago.  Keda had gone to bed as well, although she lived on the ship’s bridge, so she had curled up in the sleeping bag she had laid along one of the edges of the deck.  She had planned to stay up longer and talk, but the long day had taken its toll on the young Dorlun.

This left Zatte alone with one of the only other guests for the ceremony.  Wampaaan’riix was a Yetitan, a humanoid nine feet in height, covered in a thick coat of long white hair.  He was a friend of Luffa’s, although Zatte had never met him.  Now that he was here for a visit, she was determined to make up for lost time.

“I meant to ask about your garment?” he asked from his seat at the adjacent station.  The chair was comically small for a creature of his size, but he seemed well-accustomed to such accommodations.  "Is it traditional Dorlun attire?“

Zatte glanced down at the tailcoat she had laid on the floor.  She had loosened her tie and unbuttoned her waistcoat, having intended to change clothes hours ago, but somehow she had never gotten around to it.   None of it had been particularly comfortable, although she had to admit that it looked good.

"It’s traditional wedding attire on Hobstot,” Zatte said.  "Same as that big white dress Luffa had on.  Fact is, Dorluns have a utilitarian attitude about clothing.  I thought Saiyans were the same, but the wedding planner we went to showed us some pictures and Luffa just *had* to do it too.“

"Interesting,” Wampaaan’riix said.  "I wouldn’t have thought her to be so sentimental.“

"It always seems to come out when you least expect it,” Zatte said.  She looked at her marriage certificate again, running her finger over the embossed seal left by the notary public.  "I guess I’m one to talk.  I’ve been staring at this thing all night like I married it instead of her.“

"It’s a token of a prize well-earned,” Wampaaan’riix said.  "We each cherish such triumphs in our own way.  It would be more troubling if you didn’t.“

"I suppose you’re right,” Zatte said.  "Listen, I want to thank you both for coming.  Luffa was really excited to have you here for this.“

"The honor is mine,” Wampaaan’riix said solemnly.  "And I had been promising to introduce my son to her for some time now.  This seemed to be a perfect occasion.“

"Introduce?”  Zatte was confused.  She had been under the impression that they had met before.  "The way Luffa talked about your son, I thought they had known each other a long time.“

"In a manner of speaking,” Wampaaan’riix explained.  "Earlier, we were discussing the time she and I fought, and how she inadvertently read my mind.“

"Right, that was how she first found out she could do that sort of thing,” Zatte said.  "She’s gotten a lot better at it since then.“

"Well, in that moment, she experienced a great deal of my memories firsthand,” Wampaaan’riix said.  "This left a lasting impression upon her.  In a sense, she may feel very strongly about my family, as if they were her own…“

********

* * *

Below, in the yacht’s dining hall, Luffa was surrounded by to-go boxes supplied by the company that had catered her wedding.  Using a large spoon from the galley, she scooped portions from each one onto her plate, gobbled them down with relish, then grabbed a fistful of carved fowl to follow it up.  She repeated this routine several times, occasionally pausing to drink from a large stein of ale.  Every so often, she would lift one of the large swaths of fabric from her wedding gown and wipe sauce from her face.  

Sitting beside her, Dewbaaac'nogg watched with admiration.  Luffa had set a place for him and piled several servings of leftovers on his plate, but he had barely touched it.  

"Are you _sure_ you’re not hungry, boy?” Luffa asked with her mouth full.  "The reception was seven hours ago.“

"Like, negatory,” he said, doing his best to make a good impression. “I’m still stuffed from before, you dig?”

Luffa shrugged and continued eating.  "Suit yourself, Dewbaaac'nogg.  I don’t see how anybody as big as you gets by on so little nourishment.“  She pointed her spoon at him and gave him a knowing look.  "Especially when you’re as strong as you are.  Your old man told me how far along you’ve gotten in your training, but now that I can sense your _ki_ for myself, I’m starting to think he was selling you short.”

“Hey, no need to be so formal,” he said.  "I gave you the scoop when we met on Hobstot, chickadee,“ he said.  ”‘Dewbaaac'nogg’ is my A-plus appellation, but all my friends call me Dewbie!“

Her face had the same puzzled expression as the last three times he had told her this.  "I’m still getting used to that,” she said.  "Same way I’m still getting used to the way you talk now, and all that yellow junk you put in your hair.“

Dewbie reached into the fur on his shoulder and produced a small plastic comb, which he used on the tuft of hair on his scalp.  "Don’t dis the 'do, sister.  This is the *style* on Yetitan.  And it’s a hip trend on a heapin’ helpin’ of other happenin’ planets.”

“I know,” Luffa said, trying to contain her embarrassment.  "I led a band of Extraligans into battle a few months back, and they all dyed their crest feathers bright yellow.“

"Outta sight!” Dewbie exclaimed.  "I heard about that, but I thought somebody was pullin’ ol’ Dewbie’s leg!“

Luffa’s exploits had earned her a fan following over the past two years.  They seemed to come from all walks of life.  Soldiers, athletes, activists, and anyone else looking for a symbol would adopt pieces of her appearance or mannerisms.  The ones with hair on their heads would style it and color it to resemble her Super Saiyan form.  Those with tails would use fluorescent dye to resemble the way her own tail glowed in the transformed state.  People would adopt various catchphrases and inspirational quotes that were attributed to Luffa, even if she had never actually said them.  

For his part, Dewbaaac'nogg had gotten in on the ground floor.  His father had been absent for much of his life, preferring to seek his fortune on other worlds as a martial artist.  By chance, a random encounter with Luffa had forced Wampaaan'riix to rethink his priorities.  She defeated him with ease, but when she accidentally read his mind, she chose to spare his life.  His vulnerabilities laid bare, Wampaaan'riix chose to reconnect with his family, and Dewbie had been grateful to Luffa ever since.  When she became a celebrity, he became her number one fan on Yetitan.   Not all of his friends believed him when he claimed she was a friend of his father, but he couldn’t really blame them for being skeptical.  

He had wanted to meet Luffa in person ever since, but he had to admit that she wasn’t what he had expected.  She looked very much like any ordinary Saiyan.  Attending her wedding ceremony had been a great honor, but it also reminded Dewbie of his great aunt’s third wedding last year.  At least this time Dewbie hadn’t been required to perform the role of standard bearer, but it still felt more like time spent with an obscure relative than a great hero.  All Saiyans looked small to the giant Yetitans, but Luffa was even smaller still.  Her hands would tremble sometimes, to the point where she would tuck them under her armpits or between her knees.  

"Sorry,” she said.  "Most of what I know about you is from when I absorbed your dad’s memories, and that’s all two years out of date.  A lot’s changed since then, and I wasn’t around to see it, so I’m still getting used to how you are now… Dewbie.“

"No worries,” Dewbie said, trying his best to stay casual.  "Pops filled me in on that particular factoid on the way to Hobstot.  Must be real gone to see me rocking this killer look and using all this hep lingo.  I guess I used to be kind of a square back then.“

"Hell no,” Luffa said, her voice suddenly becoming serious.   “The young man you used to be, well, he saved me once.  You might look and talk different, and you’ve got a silly nickname, but what’s important hasn’t changed.  Hah!  Your _heart’s_ the same.  That’s what I need.  That’s why I’m hoping you’ll be able to help me again.”

He wanted to ask her what she meant by that, but he was too stunned to speak.  She was asking for his help?  

Perhaps sensing his confusion, Luffa lowered her head and focused on her meal.  "Skip it,“ she said.  "This is a special occasion.  I don’t want to bring down the mood.  We’ll have plenty of time to go over it tomorrow, after your lesson.”

There was something ominous about the way she used the word 'lesson’.  That was the whole reason Dewbie had been excited for this trip.  His father had kept up with Luffa through subspace correspondence, and she had asked to spar with Dewbie when his father thought he was ready.  Her exact words had been: _“Maybe I can give the kid some pointers.”_  He had memorized that entire letter, but those eight words felt like they were etched onto his soul.  His hero, the Legendary Super Saiyan, the most famous warrior in the galaxy was going to give _him_ a private lesson.   It was too good to be true.

And yet, now that he had finally heard her say the word aloud, Dewbie couldn’t help but feel a sense of dread…

*******

* * *

_**[26 July 236 Before Age.  Luffasworld.]** _

Luffa used an entire planet for her training ground.   Since Planet Yetitan had a very cold climate, she had chosen a region near Luffasworld’s southern pole for her session with Dewbie.  

While there had only been six people aboard the star-yacht during its trip to and from the wedding, by mid-morning it had filled with all sorts of people, most of them either looking for Luffa or the ship’s bridge.  On his way to the galley for breakfast, he had passed a man in a wizard’s cloak, two Plantians, and a crustacean-looking fellow in a military dress uniform.  Eventually, he became frustrated with the crowds and his own anxious anticipation, so he flew to the rendezvous point a full hour ahead of schedule.  He stretched and warmed up and meditated.  An hour and twenty minutes later, Luffa arrived to meet him.

She was very apologetic about being late, and this bothered Dewbie far more than he lateness itself.  It was almost as though she was his biggest fan, and not the other way around.  His generation of Yetitans knew better than to get hung up on timetables, and he wasn’t the sort of killjoy who would get bent out of shape over a twenty minute delay.   Besides, she was a busy woman.  It was an honor that she had set this time aside for him at all.  He tried to tell her as much, but the message never seemed to get across.  Also, she was still in her wedding gown from the night before, which seemed odd to him.  

“Why not?” Luffa said with a shrug as she rotated her shoulder to limber up.  "This getup looks good on me.  Besides, I paid enough for the damn thing.“

Once they began sparring, however, things fell more in line with his expectations.  Dewbie’s father had tried to prepare him for the Saiyan fighting style as best as he could, but ultimately the best advice Wampaaan'riix could give him was that there wasn’t much use in seeking advice.  The only way to truly understand was to experience it firsthand, and now Dewbie could see what he meant.  

Luffa sparred in her base form, which was still more than powerful enough to kill Dewbie instantly.  He knew she was holding back the vast majority of her strength for his sake, but even so, he still felt as though he was in a real fight and not a friendly exhibition.  When she found an opening in his guard, she seized on it with almost sadistic glee.  When he landed a punch on her solar plexus, he knew she had allowed him to do so, but she still glared at him as if he had tried to kill her, only to smile proudly at him an instant later.  

"Do you trust me, Dewbie?” she asked between strikes.  

Dewbie could only nod as he struggled to block.  Little by little, she had turned up the pressure on him, forcing him to use more and more of his strength to keep up.  As much as it had seemed like a real fight, she was only toying with him, but now Dewbie was fighting as hard as he would have been in actual combat.  

He had seen her transform before.  Not in person, of course, but a handful of lucky spectators had managed to record her in the act, and their blurry, grainy footage had become an instant hit among the Luffa enthusiasts across the galaxy.  He expected her to build up to it, but instead she simply grunted and flashed bright yellow without breaking the rhythm of her strikes.  One second she was dark haired with brown eyes, and in the next she was blonde with green eyes.  Only it wasn’t exactly blonde and green.  The colors were more vivid.   It was unsettling to look at her, and Dewbie was unprepared for how strange it was up close.  

He forced himself to stay focused, and as they continued, he realized to his amazement that she was staying focused too.  He could feel how much stronger her _ki_ had become, but she was still holding her strength to the same level she had been using before.  Dewbie’s father had suggested to him that she didn’t have this sort of fine control over her forms, but that must have changed.  

“Don’t slow down _now_ , boy,” she said with a grin.  " _This_ was how you wanted it, right?“

It was.  Before, he thought she was using her base form for his safety, but now he could see that she could have sparred with him this way from the start.  The thrill and the honor was greater, but she wanted him to work for it, and now that she had transformed, she wanted him to push himself harder to extend the experience.  He didn’t know how much longer he could keep going, but he was determined to find out.  

And then, after what seemed like an eternity, he succumbed to fatigue.  When he  could no longer block Luffa’s strikes, she landed five blows to his midsection and shoulders.  They felt surprisingly gentle, but they somehow managed to disrupt all the _ki_ energy in his body, and he collapsed to his knees onto the glacier that had been their battlefield.  He leaned forward and planted his hands on the ice as well, struggling to catch his breath.  

"Well done,” Luffa said.  He thought she might have been smiling, but all he could see at the moment were the toes of her black combat boots peeking out from under her wedding dress.  He tried to raise his head to look up at her, and then she cried out.  "Hey, don’t move!“

Suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his abdomen, like a muscle spasm.  Dewbie clutched at his gut, wondering what had happened, though he suspected that there was some sort of delayed effect to the last attack Luffa had used on him.  

"Are you okay?” Luffa asked, kneeling down to check on him.  "Dammit, that was just supposed to knock you down, but if I used too much pressure I might have hurt a vital organ–“

"I’m… aces, honest,” Dewbie assured her.  "Just need… a sec to… get my groove back.“

"Don’t try to tough it out, son” she scolded him.  "I can get you back to the ship in no time, and Doc can… can…“

She had put her hand on his massive shoulder, and now he could feel it begin to tremble.  She drew it back quickly and held it tightly in her other hand.  

"You… almost sounded… like Daddio there, champ,” Dewbie said.  "I guess when you read… my pop’s noggin, some of the pages must have rubbed off on you.“

Luffa sighed and sat down on the ice.  "You don’t know how right you are,” she said.  "Thanks to that botched mind link with your father, I sort of think of you as my own kid.  I mean, not really.  I know better, but I have to keep reminding myself you’re not a child.  Hell, you’re only a few years younger than me.  You’re old enough to decide if you need medical treatment.“

"Hey, no problemo,” Dewbie said.  "I figured that might have had something to do with you invitin’ me out to your pad.  Me and my pops are like family.“

"It’s more than that,” Luffa said.  "You saved me.“

"Whuh-huh?”

She hesitated, then gritted her teeth and just started blurting it all out.  "When I first fought your father, Dewbie… well, I was pregnant.  Not very far along, of course.  I didn’t know about it myself at the time.  By the time I found out, the Tikosi were experimenting on me.  It would have been a boy.  Your father helped me escape, but by the time he got there, the Tikosi had already removed the fetus.“  

"Pops never told me that part,” Dewbie said solemnly.  "That’s heavy.  I’m sorry.“

"I never told your father.  It’s… not something I talk about much.  It’s painful to think about.  That’s why the Makyans tried to use it against me.”

“Wait, wait.  Time out.  The _which_?” Dewbie asked.

“A race of demons,” Luffa explained.  "They used a magic potion to try to control me.  It played on my most selfish desire, which was to forget about the pain and shame of losing my baby.  I was strong enough resist it, but I couldn’t make myself _want_ to.“

"Farrrrr out… Well, how’d you squeeze out of that one?”

Luffa looked at him and smiled.  "As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t just _forget_ what had happened to me.  That boy would have grown up to be a _mighty Saiyan_ , and my soul wouldn’t rest until I had avenged him.  So my most selfish desire was to have my son back, and the Makyans couldn’t give him to me.  They could only make me forget.  It started to drive me nuts.  I started seeing hallucinations of my friends, all of 'em trying to convince me to snap out of it.  Instead, I… well, I killed them all.  Then I hallucinated _you_.  I tried to kill you too, only I couldn’t go through with it.“

"Because once you got an eyeful of _my_ handsome mug, it reminded you of your unborn son,” Dewbie realized.  

“Exactly,” Luffa said.  "Once I came to my senses… Let’s just say it’ll be a long time before the Makyans try to pull that crap with anyone else.“  

Dewbie was curious about details of Luffa’s wrath, but something told him it was better that he didn’t ask.  

"After that, I was kind of upset about killing those hallucinations,” Luffa went on.  "I got in touch with your old man, just so I could sleep better.  He told me that the two of you had gone on a mission to save his old martial arts master.  It was for your rite of ascension.  Way I hear it, you did really well.“  

"Well, I couldn’t let pops take all the risk for himself,” Dewbie said modestly.  "I mean, what kind of a swingin’ son would I be then?“

"That’s why I invited you here, Dewbie,” Luffa said.  "I need you to help me with something.  I think you’re the only one I can turn to.“

"You gave me that rap before,” Dewbie said.  "And ol’ Dewbie’s keen to lend a hand, but I don’t see what good I can do.“

Luffa stood up and balled her fists.  "I’ll show you,” she said.  "First I have to raise my power level.“

With that, she began to scream, and a golden aura flashed around her body.  

********

For a moment, bright yellow light was all Dewbie could see.  When it finally faded, he looked around and couldn’t believe his eyes.

They had been alone on the glacier, he was sure of that, but now they were surrounded by hundreds–no, thousands–of alien beings.  They were grey, androgynous humanoids covered in blue and purple markings.  They carried unfamiliar tools and rode strange vehicles along the surface of the glacier and through the sky.  In the distance, he could see a fortress.  Dewbie had never seen a species like them before, but there was no mistaking their behavior.  

They were fighting a war.  

In spite of their fierce combat, he couldn’t really tell if there was any malice to their actions.  It was hard to interpret their body language at all.  That was when Dewbie finally realized that he couldn’t hear them.  For all their activity, there was no sound at all.  

A pair of the creatures ran right up to him.  One was chasing the other.  At last the one being pursued turned and made what Dewbie thought could have been a desperate last stand.  Before he could bring his weapon to bear, his enemy opened fire, and he fell silently to the ice.  A pale grey liquid oozed from his still-smoking wound, but before the fallen warrior died, he managed to return fire with his own weapon, and killed his pursuer in turn.  Then a bomb fell from the sky, and their corpses were disintegrated where they lay.  

None of it made a sound.  The only thing Dewbie could hear was the wind, and the constant, steady thrum of Luffa’s Super Saiyan aura.  He turned and saw her standing stoically in the center of it all.  A troop convoy drove by and passed right through her.  She looked at him, and seemed visibly relieved.

"Good,” she said.  You can see them too.  I was afraid I’d be the only one. I never told the others about them.  They worry about me enough as it is.  If they heard me talking about ghosts, they’d think I was completely crazy.“

"Wh-what’s the dillio?” Dewbie asked.

“On this planet, when I increase my power to a certain level, all of _this_ appears,” she said, gesturing at the battle surrounding them.  "At first, I thought I was just seeing things.  My powers kind of tie into my emotions, and I’ve been pushing things pretty hard since I got here.  Eventually, I figured out that it’s not my imagination.  They only show up on this planet, and only for as long as I raise my _ki_ to this point.   Early on, this level was near my absolute limit, so I’d only catch glimpses of them.   As I trained and got stronger, I was able to hold this level for a long time, and then I could see them whenever I wanted, for as long as I wanted.“

Dewbie reached out to touch another creature that had approached them.   His hand passed through its chest, but it seemed to stare right at him, as if it could see him.  "What are they?” he asked.  "Why are they fighting?“

"They’re robots,” Luffa said.  "Well, that’s my best guess.  They move like machines, and there’s something artificial about their faces, like someone was trying to make them look like flesh-and-blood people, but not too closely.  

“They were soldiers.  Could be that someone created them to fight their battles for them, but they’re not just automated weapons.  I’ve been watching them for a while, and I can tell they’re intelligent.  I don’t know what they’re fighting over, but they did it all over the world.  Every time I see them, they’re always fighting some giant battle.  It’s different everywhere I go.  When I’m over the oceans, they’ve got boats and planes.  When I’m in the desert, they have tanks.  In the mountains, they’ve got snipers.  Out here, it’s mostly infantry.  I guess they don’t mind the cold, so it’s easier for them to travel in the snow on foot than to use any vehicles.”

“But what good’s it do 'em to fight over a planet they can’t even touch?” Dewbie asked.   He pointed at the area where the phantom bomb had exploded.  It had destroyed the robots, but the ice they were laying upon was untouched.  

“They’re all dead,” Luffa said darkly.  "Those two you saw kill each other a minute ago?  I’ve been here before, and I’ve seen them do that a dozen times or more.  They all look a lot alike, but I can tell by the markings on their bodies.  They indicate their ranks and identifications somehow.  They look alike, but they’re still individuals.  You can tell them apart if you know what to look for.

“What we’re seeing is a war they fought on this planet a long time ago.  They all died, and for whatever reason their ghosts are still playing out the same battles over and over again.  At least, that’s all I’ve managed to find out from them.”

“You mean you’re hip to their lingo?”

“Not exactly,” Luffa said.  She tapped her finger against the side of her head. Normal Saiyans have some telepathic abilities, but ever since I first met your father, I’ve been finding new ways to use them.  When I’m ramped up enough to see these guys, I start to sense their energy, too.  And when I really concentrate, it’s like I can feel their emotions.  But it’s really faint, and I can’t make much sense out of it.  There’s so many of them, and they’re so… well, _different_.“

"Different?”

“They don’t seem to feel the same things that you or I would. You and I are aliens to each other, and there’s other life forms that are even stranger, but we all know what it’s like to be hungry or tired or scared.  These robots, whatever they are, they’re not like that at all.  I can’t really tell how they feel.  They’re just sort of… _dissatisfied_.”

By now, other robots had abandoned their endless battle to approach Luffa and Dewbie.  Dewbie tried to see what Luffa was talking about in their expressions, but it was useless.  They simply looked at him blankly with their enigmatic blue eyes.  One of them had a large wound on its head, and grey liquid was seeping out of it at an alarming rate, but it paid no heed to this.   Was the injury just not that serious, or did the robot somehow know that it was already dead?  Did it mind?

“I got interested in their battle, so I started exploring the planet, looking for clues,” Luffa said.  "The people who sold me this place said it was uninhabited, and there was no sign of even an ancient civilization.  But I saw them using a huge aircraft carrier in the ocean once, and when I went diving in the same place, I found a coral reef about the same size and shape.  In the desert, I turned up some scrap metal that could have been those pikes some of them carry around.  So I’m pretty sure this war they fought happened a _really_ long time ago.  Like, hundreds of thousands of years.  Plenty of time for nature to recover from the damage they did, and erase any evidence of the battle.“

She smiled sadly.  "It’s beautiful, really.  These guys really tore this place up.  They fought like true warriors, every last one of them, and they’re still fighting, long after their cause was forgotten.  It’s been an honor to watch them go at it, but I’m not sure they feel the same way.  That’s why I need your help.

"The trouble is that I think these guys want _my_ help, but I’m not sure what I should do.  I just know they’re dissatisfied, but I don’t know why.  Maybe they just didn’t like how the war turned out, or they want the universe to remember them for their bravery.  One night I was talking to my wife about how Doc doesn’t like to fight, and I wondered if maybe these robots are the same way.  What if they were forced into this, and now they’re stuck reliving this same battle over and over?”

“Heavy…” was all Dewbie could say.  

“Or maybe they’re like the Dorluns, and they’re just grateful that they somehow managed to continue to exist.  For all I know, they’re not dead, and this is totally normal for them.  Maybe they’re like me, and they’re being forced into some new form they don’t understand.  It might be good for them, and they don’t even know it.”

The creatures continued to stare at them, their expressions as mysterious as ever.  What had Dewbie’s attention now was the troubled look on Luffa’s face when she looked at them.  She didn’t look like any Saiyan he’d ever seen.  

“I… envy you guys, you know?” she finally said.

“Come back?” Dewbie asked.

“Doc’s not even a fighter, but he’s done braver things than I’ll ever do.  And Keda and Zatte, and you and your father, you all earned the power you have.”

She pointed at her hair and shook her head.  "I didn’t do anything to end up like this.  It just happened.  Maybe the Tikosi forced my body to evolve, or I was born with this ability, but either way it was dumb luck.  I have the power to decide the fate of these ghosts, but I don’t think I have the right.“

She took Dewbie’s hand in both of hers.  "I know about the Yetitan rites.  You had to prove yourself as an adult warrior.  It’s mostly ceremony, but it’s still proof.  I’m proud of you for that.  I guess that’s why I’m asking for your help.”

Luffa pointed at the spirits that had gathered around her aura.  "I have the power to disperse these phantoms, but I don’t know whether or not I should.  Tell me what you think I should do with these guys, and I’ll do it.“

"That’s a real heavy load, pal-o-mine,” Dewbie said.  "I dig that you don’t want to make that call by your lonesome.  Makes sense to get an extra pair of peepers on the scene, and make sure you’re on the beam, but what good does it do to have me take the wheel?“

"I know it’s a lot to ask,” Luffa said.  "And there’s no way to know if you’ll be making the right decision, but I know you and I know your heart’s in the right place.  Whatever you come up with, right or wrong, at least it’ll be honorable.“

"Heavy,” Dewbie muttered.  "I mean _real_ heavy.  I hope you’re not in a rush, ’cause this little Yetitan’s gonna have to do some first-class thinkin’ on this one.  Like, real Grade A, you dig?“

"Take your time, Dewbie.” Luffa said.  "I can hold this power level for a while.  I can do that much at least, no problem.“

Dewbie nodded and sat down on the ground.  As he considered the dilemma, the ghosts continued to gather around them, and some of them started to lose their shape.   They floated and swirled around Dewbie and Luffa, making gestures he could not begin to understand.  Beside him, Luffa grimaced and her aura continued to flash and hum.

*******

* * *

Some time later, Dewbie broke his silence to ask a question: "Luffa, you need to take five?”

“I’m fine,” she said.

“Roger that, mama bear, I know my fave can handle anything, but I’ve been at this a while…”

She shook her head.  "I told you to take your time, boy.  It’s…. important.“

"I dig, but my noggin’ can tackle this without the visuals for a while.”

“No,” Luffa said.  "It’s bad enough I’m asking you to decide this for me.  The least I can do for these people is make them visible, so you can see what’s on the line.“

"No kiddin’, huh?  This must be that Saiyan pride I heard so much about.”

She looked at him and smiled.  "You’re damned right,“ she growled.

He looked at her, and considered the grim determination on her face.  He had no idea what her limits were.  The only being in the galaxy stronger than Luffa was the Shockmaster, and she was determined to surpass him.  For all Dewbie knew, she already had.  He didn’t know how much longer she could maintain her current power level, but sooner or later she would succumb to fatigue just as he had done during their sparring session.  The point Luffa wanted to impress upon him then was not to hold out forever, but simply to last as long as he could, and then a little bit longer, and then a little bit longer than that.  

That was why Saiyans like Luffa seemed to treat their sparring matches like genuine combat.  Luffa vs. Dewbie was a complete mismatch, but that wasn’t the point.  The point was to force Dewbie to confront himself, and Dewbie vs. Dewbie was a lifelong rivalry.  In the long run, it was the only rivalry that really mattered for him.

"You’d do this all day long if you had to,” Dewbie observed.  

Luffa’s only reply was to scrunch up her face and ball her fists tighter.  

“Well, you can cool it,” Dewbie said,  "because I’m all through thinkin’.  It’s decision time, and ol’ Judge Dewbie’s ready to rule.“

Luffa sighed with relief, but didn’t relax her energy.  "Thanks,” she said.  "What’ll it be?“

Dewbie rose to his feet and took a deep breath.  "Don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m leavin’ it up to you.” he said.

She glared at him, her face revealing some of the fatigue she had been trying to conceal.  "Dewbie, I’m _serious_ –“

"Well that makes two of us, ’cause I’m serious too.”

“Dammit!” she shouted, and her aura flared up in size.  The ground shook beneath Dewbie’s feet.  He wobbled slightly, but maintained his footing, and kept his eyes on Luffa.  He didn’t expect her to attack, and there wasn’t much he could do about it if she actually did, but he was trained to anticipate the possibility regardless.

She waved her hands at the silent images that were watching them.  "Don’t you get it?“ she demanded.  "These people need an _answer_ , Dewbie!  They’ve been waiting for one long enough, haven’t they?  Can’t you see that?!”

“Course I can.  Like, twenty-twenty, even.”

Her hands were trembling as she gestured wildly at him.  "Don’t you _care_ what happens to them?!“

"Totally, my dude.”

“ _Then why won’t you decide?_ ” Luffa demanded.  Dewbie could see tears welling up in her eyes.

“Because you care about ’em even more than I do.”

Luffa was stunned to hear this.  "What?“

"You’ve been pushin’ yourself to the limit this whole time, just so you could find out what was wrong with these peeps,” Dewbie explained.  "And you were so worried about checkin’ the wrong box on what to do for ’em, you stood here and strained yourself for an hour while you waited for me to figure somethin’ out.“

"I’m not _straining_ myself,” Luffa insisted.  "I told you I can keep this level up for–“

”–for as long as it takes, yeah, I heard this song before, mama bear,“ Dewbie said.  "But why should you lift the proverbial finger, unless you were worried about these guys?”

“I just… I feel bad for them, okay?” Luffa said.  "And I need the workout anyway, so what’s the harm?“

"You wanted me to make the call because you thought I’d make an honorable decision,” Dewbie said, “But *nobody’s* honored these far out groovy ghoulies more than you.  If anyone’s got the right to decide their fate, it’s _you_ , lady.”

“But… I’m not… You were the one who…”

He shook his head.  "I know you had that real bad trip, and you got back into your groove when you had a way-out vision of me,“ Dewbie said.  "But I’m thinkin’ what you really saw back then wasn’t me, or even your own son.  What you saw was your conscience.”

“My…?”

“Sure,” Dewbie said.  He raised an eyebrow and began to stroke his hairy chin.  "Every cat and kitten in the universe has one, you know.  Just so happens _your_ conscience just looks a little _handsomer_ than most folks’.“

"What if you’re wrong?!” Luffa asked.

“You brought me in on this because you trusted me to make the best call, didn’t you?” Dewbie said with a shrug.  "Well my call is for you to trust your lonesome.  My call is that you’ve known that from the get-go, but maybe you needed to hear someone else say it.“

Luffa turned away from him.  "Maybe I did,” she said.  "No matter what I do, we’ll never know for sure if it was right. I just have to do the best I can.“

"Sounds like the sort of rap I had to learn for the manhood rites on Yetitan,” Dewbie said.  "Maybe you had it wrong, and you really _did_ earn your power somewhere along the way.  You might’ve took a different route, but your boots are just as worn as mine.  Well, I don’t wear kicks myself.  Ol’ Dewbie likes to keep things natural, if you know what I mean.“

She looked at her hands, then clenched them into fists.  "Brace yourself,” she said.  "This shouldn’t take long.“

"What are you gonna do?” Dewbie asked.

“What I should have done from the start,” Luffa said.  "Thanks, boy.  Thanks for giving me a swift kick in the butt.“

She summoned her _ki_ , and Dewbie crossed his arms in front of his face as her aura produced a terrible wind.  Around them, the spirits streaked through the air, wailing silently, and making their incomprehensible gestures.

In the center of it all, Luffa screamed.  She put her fingers against her head, and Dewbie suspected that she was in pain.  In spite of his advice, he still had an impulse to reach out, to try and help her somehow, but he knew better.  Even if he knew what to do for her, even if he had the power, it was better this way.

So instead he concentrated his _ki_ on protecting himself, and he admired his hero, his father’s friend, _his_ friend, who loved him like a son.

And when she was finished, and she powered down her her normal form, and the ghosts vanished, and she fell to her hands and knees, only then did Dewbaaac’nogg rush to her aid, scooping her up like a Yetitan cub in his massive arms.

*******

* * *

Thousands of miles away, Luffa lay on a beach, massaging her scalp.  She opened her eyes and found Dewbie looming over her, his white fur soggy from swimming.  With all of his hair matted down, he looked much slimmer than usual.  The hair on his head had gone limp, but the dye had somehow managed to resist the effects of the seawater.  In his hand he held a large fish.  

"Figured you’d want some chow,” he said cordially.  

Luffa sat up and ripped the fish out of his hand, then started ripping it to pieces with her hands and teeth.  Dewbie was unnerved, but pleased to see he his fishing expedition had been worth the trouble.  In a matter of minutes there was nothing left of his catch but bones and sraps of connective tissue.  

“Thanks,” Luffa said.  She grabbed the hem of her wedding gown and wiped the blood from her mouth.  “Thanks for everything.”

“What’s your twenty?” Dewbie asked.  "Feelin’ any better?“

"My head is killing me,” Luffa groaned.  "I’m starting to think I only held off for so long because I knew how hard it would be.“

"But it did the trick, right?” Dewbie asked hopefully.  "That crazy psychic power you used fed the bulldog, didn’t it?“

"I think so,” Luffa said wearily.  She snapped a small rib bone off the fish’s skeleton and started picking her teeth with it.  "I used something similar when I broke the spell the Makyans used on me.  As I pushed against the robots to destroy them, I could get a better connection with their emotions.  So at least I got a better understanding of them.“

She turned her head and spit on the sand.  "I’m not gonna pretend I have all the answers, but I _think_ they understood what I was doing and why.  It may not have been what they needed, but I think they knew this was the best ending they could get.  Someone else might have come along who could really help them, but who knows how long they’d have to wait.  I’m pretty sure they were tired of waiting.  I don’t know.”

“Maybe we oughta boogie on back to your ship,” Dewbie suggested.  "We both went through the ringer today.  Even if it’s nothing serious, might not be bad to have Doc Topsas give us the once-over.“

Luffa nodded, and opened her mouth as if to agree, and then she stopped short.  "No,” she said.  "We can’t do that.  Not for a while, anyway.  Doc’s… uh… well, he’s _busy_.“

"Busy?”

Luffa’s face and ears had turned red.  "That’s why I was late meeting up with you,“ she said.  "We had a situation back at the house, and…”

*******

* * *

Aboard Luffa’s star-yacht, Dr. Topsas carefully ran his fingers over Zatte’s left hand.  Satisfied with the tactile examination, he moved on to her thoracic wall, then consulted a set of scans of her skeleton.  

“Fortunately, the Plantians have stocked the ship’s sickbay with a generous supply of superpolymorphic unleashing gel,” he said cheerfully.  "So if something like this ever happens in the future, you can repair a cracked rib or a sprained wrist in a fraction of the time it would normally take.“

Gingerly, Zatte sat up from the examination tabled and sighed.  "I’ll keep that in mind, doctor,” she said.  

“Are you feeling all right, Ms. Zatte?” he asked.  

“Still a little sore, but a lot better than I was two hours ago,” she said.  "Uh… thanks for not asking how this happened.   The whole thing’s silly and Luffa’s even more embarrassed about it than I am… “

"Say no more, Ms. Zatte” Topsas said.   “I was a young newlywed myself once…”   

**NEXT: Shock to the System.**


	59. Chapter 59

_**[4 August, 238 Before Age.  Planet Wist.]** _

He had stumbled, and the results had been disastrous, but very soon he would have another chance.  He would make things _right_ , and everything would be as it should have been.

Since the destruction of Goldwall Fortress, the Shockmaster had established a new command center in an abandoned castle a thousand miles away.  Wistian technology had transformed the old stone manor into a gleaming administration building, and it was quickly staffed by the highest ranking survivors of the Wistian military.    These personnel reported to his new chief of staff, Tigon, formerly a lieutenant colonel in charge of public works projects.

“Rewistification has come to a standstill in the southwestern districts,” she said as he stood on the roof and contemplated the view of the valley below.  “The devices we used to irrigate the farmland were destroyed in the battle, and so were the supply houses where the backups were stored.”

“ _ **WE’LL REPLACE THEM**_ ,” he said, his voice seemingly booming from everywhere at once.  " _ **ONCE THE CAMPAIGN IS COMPLETE.  WE’LL REPLACE EVERYTHING.**_ “

"My Partner,” Tigon began, for that was how he wished to be addressed, “That timetable simply won’t work.  It’ll take weeks to finish assembling the fleet, and weeks to deploy them to Extraliga, to say nothing of the return trip.  The farmers need irrigation _now_ , during the growing season.  By the time we return, winter will have set in.”

“ _ **THE CAMPAIGN IS ALL THAT MATTERS**_ ,” the Shockmaster said.  " _ **EVERYTHING DEPENDS UPON IT.  ALL RESOURCES MUST BE PUT TOWARDS THAT GOAL, UNTIL EXTRALIGA IS WON**_.“

"Is this how you make our planet great?” Tigon asked.  "By starving its people?  By selling them into slavery to pay mercenaries to fight in your war?“

The Shockmaster crossed his arms over his massive chest.  ” _ **YES,**_ “ he said.

Tigon was stunned by his bluntness.  She opened her mouth to speak, but then he twitched his fingers, and she was suddenly engulfed in bolts of violet lightning.

 _ **"DON’T CONFUSE ME WITH THE DEGENERATES WHO ONCE RULED THIS WORLD, TIGON,”**_ he said as she convulsed violently.  She dropped to her knees and only then did he cease his attack.  

_**“MY AUTHORITY IS ABSOLUTE.  I WON’T CHANGE MY PLANS SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY ARE UNPOPULAR.  I SEEK TO TRANSFORM THIS PLANET INTO A PARADISE, AND NOTHING LESS.  IF THE PEOPLE MUST SUFFER HARDSHIP FOR THE GREATER GOOD, THEN SO BE IT.  NOTHING WILL DISTRACT ME FROM MY OBJECTIVE.  NOT LUFFA, NOT THE REBELS, NOT THE PEOPLE, AND CERTAINLY NOT YOU.”** _

She recovered from the assault and nodded as she caught her breath.  "Yes, sir,“ she said.  Under the circumstances there was really nothing else she could say.  She finished her report and left him to stare at the valley.

He didn’t expect them to understand.  He had renamed the planet and its people, but none of them were _true_ citizens of Wist.    Wist was an ancient civilization to them, barely a footnote in their history.    Despite all of its grand and glorious achievements, Wist had fallen, and the planet eventually gave rise to a new civilization: Goldwall.    The Goldwallish were fools, possessing reasonably modern technology but preferring to live like a medieval people.  They lived in stone castles and wooden houses, and they fought pointless battles over which noble family would rule which parcel of land.  Their leaders had all been cruel, treacherous and venal, and they had ruled by fear and intrigue rather than any real power.

It embarrassed the Shockmaster that he had unwittingly played such a pivotal role in Goldwall’s history.  For centuries, its rulers had used his legend as a sort of boogeyman to frighten their subjects into obedience.  He could understand the value of intimidation, but they had no vision beyond their own appetites.  Then the day finally came when he was summoned in earnest.  The boogeyman proved to be real after all, and unlike the pitiful regimes who had used him as a crutch, _he_ had a worthy vision for the future, and the strength to realize it.

At first, the people welcomed him, for he brought peace and stability simply by his very existence.  None could defy the power of the Shockmaster, so the old disputes and conflicts swiftly became irrelevant.  His deputies would jockey for position in the new order, but they knew better than to defy him personally.  Alien interlopers had sought to oppose his rule, but they could only chip away at the edges, and he saw them as no serious threat.  The Goldwallish were eager to accept anything he told them to do, but only because they believed he would deliver easy, guaranteed victories.

No one had questioned the invasion of Extraliga until it began to unravel.  He had gambled much, and paid in manpower and materiel, but he had waited millennia for the chance to take that world.  To him, the wormhole’s capture and Luffa’s counterattack were minor setbacks.  The resentment of his subjects was little more than a minor annoyance.    He had stumbled, but he had stumbled before, and as always, he would rise again and seize the final victory.

Tigon and her kind quibbled over useless details.  The wormhole had been a convenience and nothing more.  If he had to send a fleet across the galaxy to conquer Extraliga, he would do so.  If the fleet needed six weeks to make the journey, so be it.    If he had to make his subjects suffer to rebuild his military, then they would suffer.  If he had to supplement that fleet with mercenaries, he would.  If those mercenaries demanded Wistian slaves in lieu of payment, then it would be done.  All that mattered was his goal, and he had already sacrificed far more important things in its pursuit…

*******

* * *

A thousand miles to the east of the Shockmaster, night had fallen over the ruins of Fortress Goldwall.  Once, the fort would have been a bustling center of activity, lit by hundreds of lamps as officials and merchants went about their business.  After the Super Saiyan’s rampage, the only signs of life in this place were scavengers hoping to find something useful or valuable in the rubble, and they only came around during the day.  Now, the only light was the meager starlight of the moonless sky, and a single flashlight.  

The young woman who carried the flashlight moved purposely across the broken fortress.  Unlike the usual scavengers, she didn’t pause to search the area randomly.  Instead, she went to a specific spot and began digging.  

An hour passed.  Then two.  When a Wistian patrol vehicle flew over her position, she shut off her lamp and ducked under a leather cloak to hide, but this was the only real opposition she encountered.  Finally, when she had found what she was looking for, she emerged from the hole she had dug, and leaped away from the ruins.  She landed hundreds yards away, and broke into a run as soon as her boots touched the ground.  Picking up speed, she continued along a road, altering her course and speed only to avoid Wistian convoys and checkpoints.  Finally, she vaulted over a fence at the edge of a village and entered a bog on the other side.  Wading up to her knees, she spoke a single word in a long-dead language, and _vanished_.  

She reappeared in a room lined with peat and vegetation.  There were candles, but most of the illumination was provided by what looked like bubbles that hung in the air and gave off a pale yellow glow.   There, in the center, a creature sat upon a moss-covered cushion, engrossed in deep meditation.  His muscular body was mostly humanoid, but his bulging yellow eyes and scaly green skin gave him a fish-like appearance.  His only clothing was a vest covered in coral, and breeches made of seaweed.  He glanced in her direction almost a soon as she arrived, and nodded courteously.  

"Trrouuuble?” he asked in a slurred, gargling voice.

“No, I just found it a lot sooner than we expected,” she said, removing her cloak to reveal her costume.  In spite of the hours spent digging through debris, her blue gloves and boots were spotless, as well as the tricolor leotard she always wore, and the tricorne hat on her head.  Her face and legs, however, were covered in dust and grime, a silent testament to her long night’s work.  "The locator spell you used managed to pinpoint it almost perfectly.“

"Wellll dooooone,” he said.  

“I don’t like all this sneaking around, Tobiko.  I came to Planet Wist to fight for its freedom, not to dig up old relics from ruined fortresses.”

He began to respond, then paused and made a series of esoteric gestures toward his throat.  When he completed this spell, he began to speak normally, in a voice she found quite charming.

“Forgive me, Ensign Liberty.  I would have searched the ruins myself, but my unsightly form would have been too conspicuous.  And though it may not be to your liking, you have a talent for slipping into places unnoticed.”  

“I’m a revolutionary, mister,” she said.  "I know the importance of stealth, but I _prefer_ to use it to make strategic gains.  Intelligence gathering, sabotage, assassination, that sort of thing.“  She reached into a satchel hanging from her arm and withdrew a oblong, iridescent gemstone.  "But this bauble you sent me to retrieve hardly seems worth the trouble.”

He reached out his webbed hand to take the gem from her and examined it carefully with his bulbous eyes.  "We shall soon see, M'ranga,“ he said.   "The Crystal Chronicle contains historical records from as far back as the Golden Age of this world.  Over the millennia, the knowledge of how to access those records was lost, until the Lords of Goldwall saw it as nothing more than an opulent treasure.  But if I can decode its data-lattice with a Spell of Decryption, we may discover a number of gains, strategic or otherwise.”

“That’s all it is?  A _history book_?” Ensign Liberty asked.  When Tobiko nodded, she shook her head and threw out her hands.  "What good can that _possibly_ do us?  We need to be worried about this planet’s _future_ , not its past.  The Lords of Goldwall have been oppressing the people here for thousands of years, and for all the Shockmaster’s promises, he’s on track to finish grinding this world into dust.  All he cares about is conquering a planet on the other side of the galaxy, and he’s willing to use every resource on this planet to raise his army.  We need to be fighting, _resisting_ , not poring over musty old tomes.“

"Be mindful, M'ranga.  For all your righteous passion, I fear you are making the same mistake the Shockmaster has made.”

“What do you mean?” she asked.  

“Our enemy was sealed away thousands of years ago, and now he has awoken in a world he no longer recognizes.  He seeks to restore it to the way it once was, or rather the way he _wishes it had been_.”

“He wishes ancient Wist had never fallen,” she said.  "You already told me all about that.  Wist was a paradise once, and he claims he can bring it all back, if only his subjects obey his every command.“

"But Ancient Wist never fell,” Tobiko replied.  "Over the centuries, it changed and evolved into something completely different, but there was no _fall_ , my good Ensign.   That would require some singular, catastrophic event to mark the end of one era, and the beginning of the next.  History is rarely so convenient, as any historian will attest.“

She considered this for a moment.  "You’re saying the Shockmaster’s strategy is flawed because it’s built on a false premise.  He’s pinning all his hopes on this one great battle he’s planning, because he thinks that’s how the universe works.”

“Months ago, you tried to shoot the Shockmaster in his own fortress,” Tobiko said.  "Your attempt failed, but even if it hadn’t, did you truly believe you could liberate Planet Wist in a single stroke?“

"Of course not,” she said.  "Killing him would have been a big step forward, but only a step.  It would have left a power vacuum, and there would have been usurpers, but each of them would be far weaker than the previous regime.  The revolution would have an easier path to victory, but not a guaranteed one.“

"Then you understand.  The Shockmaster, I suspect, does not.  If we study the past that he has overlooked, we may find the way to exploit this weakness.”

She rubbed the tip of her chin, then took a seat on one of the mossy cushions in Tobiko’s sanctum.  "Where do we begin?“ she asked earnestly.   

*******

* * *

_**[6 April, 7491 Before Age.  Wist.]** _

” _Remarkable_ texture, wouldn’t you agree, Lord Beerus?“

"Mmm?  Oh, yes.  And the flavor is simply _amazing_.  I think a second helping is in order.”

“You’ve already _had_ a second helping, my lord.  And a third for that matter.”

“ _No one asked you to keep count, Whis!_  For your _information_ , I’m trying to make as fair an evaluation of this meal as possible.”

“Oh, I see.”

“It’s one thing to prepare a good meal, but a truly great chef must be able to produce _consistent_ quality.  If the second helping is as good as the third, then it demonstrates unparalleled skill.”

In the great hall of the Mystic Council, the little boy watched from the doorway while his father served the meal.  He was proud of his father.  The Wist Hegemony was the greatest power in the universe, and the Mystic Council was wise beyond wisdom itself.  That they had selected his father to run their kitchen was a tremendous honor.  On days like these, his father had brought him along to watch him work, and the boy had been proud to see the Mystics lavish praise upon the food he prepared.  

But this time was different.  Tonight, it was not the Council he served, but a pair of visitors.  He didn’t know who they were or why they had come, or why the Mystics had not used their invincible magic to make them leave.  Surely the power of the Ur-Ember was enough to destroy them!  Instead, the Mystics spoke in hushed whispers, and they had approached his father and pleaded for him to save them all.  They were _afraid_.  Until now, the little boy did not think such a thing was possible.  He didn’t understand everything that was happening, but he had gathered that something very terrible would happen unless his father could please the two visitors with his cooking.  

“Then have you made your determination, Lord Beerus?  Or will you need another slice?”

“Don’t rush me.   I’ll have to _think_ about this…  Hmm, maybe after a nap.”

“It wouldn’t be fair to keep them in suspense, now would it?  You _did_ say you would spare this world if the meal appeased your anger.”

“Yes, well, if they don’t like the suspense, then this planet’s rulers should have been more polite when I arrived.  Why, just thinking about it makes me positively…”

He paused to make a long, loud yawn, and then he rubbed his large eyes with his paw-like hands.  Then he smacked his lips and continued speaking.

“…errr, positively _furious_.”

“So furious that you want to take a _nap_ , Lord Beerus?”  Whis asked with a wry smile.

As they bickered, the little boy watched his father, who stood nearby with a bottle of wine.  His father was a consummate professional.  As terrified as the Mystics had been, he had accepted his role in the crisis with dignified grace.  The boy thought he could make out a bead of sweat rolling down his father’s face, but there was no other outward sign of anxiety.  He would discharge his duty to the very end.  

“Oh, fine, I suppose it _was_ a good enough meal, after all.  Hey, you over there.”

It took the boy a moment to realize that the visitors had noticed him watching from the doorway.  

“Yes, _you_ , little boy.  Go and tell those ‘mystics’ or whatever you call them to get back in here.  I’ve made up my mind.”

The boy looked to his father, and when he nodded, the boy ran to the great foyer, where the Elders of the Mystic Council waited anxiously.  Minutes later, they convened before Beerus, like accused prisoners in their own Great Hall of Judgement.

“You should thank your chef,” Beerus said idly.  "In spite of your rudeness earlier, his exquisite cooking has convinced me to spare your planet.“

The Mystics looked at each other and murmured with excited relief.  One of them cleared his throat to speak.  "Lord Beerus,” he said,  "On behalf of the Wist Hegemony, I wish to thank you for your merciful–“

"Oh, enough of that,” Beerus said with a wave of his hand.    "I’ve had enough of your speeches for one day.  Just remember that your little 'hegemony’ may have a great deal of power by mortal standards, but it’s no excuse for arrogance.  Whis!  We’re leaving.“

"Right away, my lord.”

They rose from their seats, and the one called Whis held out his hand.  A long staff appeared from nowhere, and he took it in his hand.   Beerus placed one hand on Whis’ shoulder.  

“Oh, one last thing,” Beerus said before they departed.  He began to pick his teeth with one of his clawed fingers.  "Although I’ve decided to spare your _planet_ from destruction, I’m afraid my generosity will not be extended to your moon.    Well, so long.“

Before any of them could register what he had just said, Whis tapped his staff on the floor and the pair of them were engulfed in a column of light.  When it faded, there was no trace of either of them.  Dumbfounded, they looked out the large window on the south wall, which offered a picturesque view of the city.  The full moon, hung in the sky as it always had.  The Wistians called it Nostal, and its surface features resembled the face of a smiling woman.

A few seconds later, Nostal’s cheery face turned an ashen grey color, and then it exploded in a burst of purple light.

*******

* * *

_**[4 August, 238 Before Age.  Planet Wist.]** _

"The Ur-Ember was the source of power that sustained Wist as a galactic power during its Golden Age.  It radiated mystical energy like a star, but it was small enough that you could hold it in your hand.  Of course, that would be impossible.  Most beings would be utterly destroyed before they could even approach it, much less touch it.    That was why it was kept on Wist’s uninhabited moon.”

“But Wist _has_ no moon, Tobiko,” Ensign Liberty said.

“Indeed.  According to legend, the Ancients grew too arrogant, too satisfied with their own supremacy.  One day, the gods took notice of them, and paid a visit.  They became offended, and destroyed the moon to teach them humility.”

“But you said there was no single catastrophe that caused Wist to fall,” she said.  "Losing the Ur-Ember would have been bad enough, but the moon’s destruction must have wreaked havoc on this planet’s environment.“

"It wasn’t as bad as you might expect,” Tobiko said.    "During the Golden Age, Wist had many advanced technologies and magical devices.  The loss of the Ur-Ember was tragic, but not a disaster.  Working together, the Ancients eventually stabilized the planet’s orbit and shielded it from whatever debris might have remained from the moon’s destruction.  It was a watershed moment, to be sure, but Ancient Wist continued on for many more thousands of years.   There was no single event that marked the END of Wist and the BEGINNING of Goldwall.    It was a gradual transformation.  

“As I was taught, Wist was dealt a serious blow by the gods, but we were determined to recover and learn from the experience.  As I said, there were other resources besides the Ur-Ember, and so the Council set to work reallocating those resources to compensate.  In the Golden Age there were weather control systems that kept the entire planet in an eternal summer.  There were machines that ran on magic to produce food from thin air.  Buildings could be transformed completely.    With the Ur-Ember, all of these things and more could be used simultaneously.  Without it, some of them had to be shut down.    The weather system was one of the first to be deactivated.  Traditional farming techniques slowly resurfaced.  Much of the magic power on Wist was committed to military defense and law enforcement.  Too much, I always believed…”

*******

* * *

_**[29 September, 7480 Before Age.  Wist.]** _

“Your father saved us, and it seems only fitting that his son should carry on that tradition.”

The ancient sorceress looked as young as himself, and when he considered this, he could only marvel at the glories of Wist.    His father had been granted the honor of serving their meals, and now they were prepared to bestow an even greater honor upon _him_.

“Please, my lady,” the young man said as he genuflected before her.  "My father only did what he could.  I am unworthy of this boon.“

"Such humility is the provenance of your worthiness, my young champion,” she said.  Her voice was as gentle as it was powerful.  When her slender hand touched his face, it felt softer and smoother than anything he could imagine, and yet he could somehow sense the mighty energies that surged beneath her radiant skin.  It saddened him that such a wonderful person had been reduced to seeking his lowly aid.

“Wist is secure, but with the loss of our moon, we shall surely face an age of turmoil,” the sorceress said.  "It will take time for our weaknesses to show, and time again for our enemies to exploit these flaws, but these events shall come to pass, as surely as autumn follows summer.“

"My lady, Wist has no autumn,” he said.    "Our climate is regulated by the Temperator, is it not?“

She made a small, sad laugh and gently tilted his head until he was looking up at her.   "You are correct, my champion-to-be, but only for now.  Wist has indeed known continual summer for many centuries, but the end shall come.  The Temperator will go on as it has for some time, but without the Ur-Ember to sustain it, it shall eventually run down until it fails.”

“But your powers, my lady!” he said anxiously.  "Surely you and the other Mystics possess the means to… to…“  He didn’t even know how to finish the thought.  It was unthinkable that she and her peers lacked the power to solve any problem, and yet it was unpardonable folly for him to suggest that she had overlooked a possible solution.

"Powers we have,” she said.  "But many of the wonders that have sustained our Hegemony depended upon the augmented power of the Ur-Ember, which was destroyed with our moon.  With its raw power augmenting our abilities, we could sustain a great many things.  Now, we Ancients must shepherd our remaining power carefully, and use it only where it is most vital.  Do you understand?“

"I… suppose,” he said.  "It’s difficult to imagine you having _any_ limitations, my lady.“

"You will understand better in time,” she said.  With a wave of her hand, a tiny spark of light floated into the atrium of the Great Hall.  It moved directly above her waiting hands and then exploded with a burst of light.    He shielded his eyes, and when he dared to look again, he saw her holding a massive silver helmet.

“Behold,” she said.  "This Helm of Power contains a portion of mystical energies from every member of the Mystic Council.  Whosoever wears it shall be given strength and wisdom fitting a true champion of Wist.    Indeed, the wearer shall become the living embodiment of all that is ever just and good in our culture.  And we have chosen you to become that embodiment of Wist.“

"Me?  But… surely there are better…”

“We have searched and found none more worthy,” she said.  "The Council has ruled.  This power, this burden, shall be yours alone.“

"Burden, my lady?”

“The autumn of Wist is inevitable, my champion.    And beyond that, a long winter.   Without the Ur-Ember, our enemies shall gather and multiply in the shadows.  It will be your task to defend Wist during that long winter, and to uphold what our society stands for.  The task will be difficult, sometimes thankless, but always vital.  Will you accept the power?”

He was confused.  "You said the Council has already decided, my lady.  What choice is there?  If Wist needs my help, then I must answer the call.“

She smiled proudly.  "Then take your helm, champion.  Become the first of a new age of heroes.”

He reached out and took the helmet from her and placed it upon his head.  It was completely dark inside, for even the lenses on the helmet were made of opaque silver-colored material.    And yet, once the helmet was in place, he found he could see perfectly, as if there was nothing on his head at all.

Then he felt the power, like a bolt of lightning surging from his skull down to the tips of his toes.  He stood up, and felt his muscles swelling, his body _expanding_.  Electricity swirled around him, and he made an astonished cry.

The storm inside him did not subside, and he realized that it never truly would, but soon he found that his mind and body had adjusted to the power within him, and he looked down to find the ancient sorceress looking up at him with satisfaction.

“ _ **THE ENTIRE ROOM**_ …” he said.  He no longer recognized his own voice.  It rumbled like distant thunder, and seemed to come from everywhere at once.  " ** _EVERYTHING IS SMALLER… NO… I’VE JUST GOTTEN BIGGER, HAVEN’T I?_** “

"Correct,” she said.  "You have been transformed into a being of power incarnate.  As the Temperator  allowed us to be masters of the weather, so you have become a master of the mystic energies bestowed upon the helm.“

” _ **HAVE I BECOME AN ANCIENT LIKE YOU?**_ “

"In a sense,” she admitted.  "Your lifespan will be many times more than that of a normal man, and you now possess the same innate powers as I, but instead of mystic insight, your power is confined to physical might.“

” _ **YES.  I CAN FEEL IT.**_ “

"Our Hegemony has suffered a tremendous blow, and there will be other shocks to our society to come.  You will protect us from those disturbances, absorbing their impact and allowing our culture the chance to adapt to the coming changes.  Henceforth, you will be known as the _Shockmaster_.”

There was more for him to understand, of course, and she promised to explain it to him over the next several days.  For now, he could only be amazed as he slowly realized what he had become, and the possibilities that now lay before him.  As the sorceress spoke, he made many personal resolutions to himself.

The first was that he would defend Wist with all his heart and soul.  The second was that he would never forget the supreme confidence she had in him, and do everything in his power to never let her down.  

The third was that he would find some way to bring back Wist’s endless summer, and banish the hated autumn to the dustbin of history.

**NEXT: The Tarnished Age**


	60. Chapter 60

_**[5 August 238 Before Age.  Planet Wist.]** _

Tobiko’s sanctum was a large hut made of peat and muck, submerged beneath a swamp.  Long ago, he was part of the Mystic Council, the ruling body of Ancient Wist.  When he fell out of favor with his peers, they put a terrible curse upon him, transforming him into an amphibious creature forever bound to the swamps of the planet.  They had also made Tobiko virtually immortal, in order to prolong his exile.

Ironically, their punishment had been a blessing in disguise.  Cut off as he was from their civilization, Tobiko was a living witness to its decline.  Now over five thousand years old, he possessed great wisdom and expertise about his homeworld.  He had found ways to teleport himself and others to almost any fen or bog on the planet, and he knew of secrets that had long since been forgotten by others.  He was a valuable ally, provided one was willing to see past his fearsome appearance.  

M'ranga, otherwise known as Ensign Liberty, was more than willing.  Her critics called her a revolutionary and an idealist, but she embraced those labels.  She had fought for freedom on dozens of worlds oppressed by tyranny, and she had learned long ago that courage and skill came in all shapes and sizes.  Others might have balked at the idea of using his underwater home as a base of operations, but she was honored by his hospitality.  

Besides, the place didn’t smell nearly as bad as one might have assumed.  She had expected an odor like sulfur mixed with rotting fish, but instead there was an aroma reminiscent of an incense shop.  It was possible that this was an illusion brought on by Tobiko’s magic.  He normally spoke in a slurred and gargled voice, but he had a spell to sound more normal whenever he had a lot to say.  

Tonight was such an occasion, as he was telling her what he knew of the origin of the Shockmaster, in the hopes that this would provide the key to defeating him and freeing Planet Wist from his control.  While she didn’t mind the way his voice usually sounded, she was grateful for the clarity the spell provided.  The story spanned more than seven thousand years, and she was having a hard enough time following along as it was.  

“All right, so the Ur-Ember powered the Golden Age of Wist,” she said, “But that ended about seven thousand years ago, when Wist’s moon, was destroyed, and the Ur-Ember was lost along with it.  But the Mystic Council still had a lot of magic power left over to work with, so even though it was a serious blow, it wasn’t enough to collapse the Wist Hegemony right then and there.”

“Correct,” Tobiko said patiently.  He was examining a gemstone M'ranga had obtained for him.  He claimed that it possessed an even more detailed historical record than his own long memory.  Though now that he had it, he seemed uncertain of how to use it.   

“Then, you could call it a Silver Age, where the Mystic Council relied more and more on conventional resources,” she said.  That’s why they gave the Shockmaster his Helm of Power, so he could lead a whole group of super-powered champions to defend the planet.  Without the Ur-Ember, that was the best they could manage, but it still worked for a long time.“

"Indeed,” Tobiko said.  

“So what went wrong?” she asked.  "They chose him because he was such a noble man, so why did they seal him away?  The Shockmaster of today is so brutal and ruthless.  I don’t see how he could have lost his way so completely.“

He chuckled quietly.  "The Shockmaster’s greatest flaw was his over-zealousness.  In his youth, it was his strength.  Those were perilous times, and the world needed a principled, uncompromising standard-bearer to show the way.  Someone rather like you, M’ranga.”

“We’re nothing alike,” she insisted.  " _I’m_ fighting for Wist’s _freedom_.  The Shockmaster’s nothing more than a petty tyrant.“

"In my experience, today’s liberator often becomes tomorrow’s oppressor,” Tobiko said.  "Long, long ago, you might have found a kindred spirit in the Shockmaster.  But as the years passed, he became disillusioned with the world around him.  Wist was changing.  Indeed it always had been changing, but in his mind it was changing for the worse.  Perhaps he was right, but it didn’t excuse him from his duty…“

*******

* * *

_**[7 January, 7018 Before Age.  Wist.]** _

They had rejected his proposal.  He had waited _three years_ for an answer.  Three years of dithering and useless protocol, designed to make bureaucrats feel an illusion of importance.  And in the end, they told him no.   He shouldn’t have been surprised.  No one took action in this day and age.  It was all about gathering signatures and countersignatures, making sure no one rocked the boat, or upset the status quo.  

The Golden Age hadn’t been like this.  In those days, Wist had been strong, and its leaders hadn’t wasted time fretting over every little detail.  When something needed to be done, it was done, and with the full confidence of the people.  

But the Golden Age had been over for centuries.  He was the only one left who even remembered it, and he had been born at its very end.  To have never known the beauty and glory of Wist as it should have always been!  That was true blindness.  

The Shockmaster had found a way to restore that Golden Age.  It was there for the taking.  He only needed the Mystic Council’s approval to proceed.  It should have been a mere formality, an obvious decision ratified by a unanimous vote.  Instead, it took three years.  And they said no.  

He wondered if they even knew what it was they had rejected.  The Mystic Council wasn’t what it once was, after all.  He respected that great body, but the sorcerers who served today were but a pale imitation of the great leaders from fifty years ago.  

He had _found_ the Ur-Ember.  There was a way to bring it back!  And with it, all of the splendor of Wist’s Golden Age would follow!  The last four-and-a-half centuries of decay would be wiped away, like a bad dream forgotten in the light of a new dawn.  But for this generation of Wistians, the bad dream was all they knew.  They feared losing the meager prosperity they had, simply because they couldn’t understand what lay ahead.

” ** _Penny for your thoughts, Shockmaster_ ,**“ asked the Groundshaker.  Like himself, she was a warrior specially empowered by the Mystic Council, though she had only entered the service eighty years ago.  She was formidable and skillful, but terribly naive.  And like so many of Wist’s youth, she lacked the proper respect.

” _ **THE WORLD DOESN’T MAKE SENSE ANYMORE, GROUNDSHAKER,**_ “ he replied.  He saw no need to share details about his disagreement with the Council’s ruling.  It would be unseemly, and besides, she wouldn’t understand his position.  

” _ **I know what you mean**_ ,“ she said.  She wore a pair of massive gauntlets and a mask that covered most of her head except for her eyes.  Though her function was similar to his own, she had different abilities, which mostly involved power over the earth.  They and their other colleagues patrolled Planet Wist on a regular basis, and the two of them had worked together for decades.   She likely considered him to be a friend.  

The feeling was not mutual.  

As they flew across the western continent, she shook her head sadly.  ” ** _It’s not like it used to be, is it?_** “ she said.  ” _ **This whole area used to be factories.  Back when Wist used to**_ **make things** _ **, you know?  Now it’s all being converted to farmland.**_ “

The idea of Wist growing crops from the ground was appalling, to be sure.  But what disgusted the Shockmaster was that she actually missed the factories, as if they weren’t just as bad.  He remembered a time when Wist didn’t need to export manufactured goods of any kind.  Everything was produced through sorcery, but with less and less magical power to work with, the Mystic Council had to focus on matters of defense and infrastructure.  Using magic to produce food and goods was a luxury in this benighted era.  

” _ **And children these days are so entitled,**_ “ she went on.  ” _ **They don’t know what it means to work for a living.**_ “  

She was right, but he couldn’t help but be reminded that _she_ had been approved by the Council for empowerment with less than a quarter of the training he had received.  The standards for excellence were already low a century ago.  That they had gotten bad enough for _her_ to notice was especially dismal.  

” _ **And they wear such salacious clothing!**_ “ she whined.  ” ** _The loud colors on their kilts are just atrocious.  And if they wore them any shorter, they may as well be belts!_** “

He stifled a groan.  The Groundshaker’s kilt barely covered her calves, but that hardly mattered to him, since he found the very notion of kilts revolting, regardless of their hemline.  Pantaloons had been proper Wistian attire for tens of thousands of years.  Kilts and dresses were a sign of foreign ideas contaminating the culture like a blight.  If the Groundshaker and her generation didn’t like the way things were going, they only had their own poor example to blame.  

He continued to brood as they went about their patrol, until suddenly a giant image of a man’s head appeared before them both.  They immediately recognized him as the intelligence chief of the Mystic Council.  Privately, the Shockmaster resented the office, as it was an overt admission that the Council no longer had the raw magical talent to divine information through sorcery.  However, the conventional method used by the chief were sound, not even the Shockmaster could dispute the chief’s effectiveness in exposing threats to the Hegemony.  

"Shockmaster!  Groundshaker!” he called to them.  "Are you receiving this psychic transmission?“

” _ **WE ARE,**_ “ he replied.  ” _ **HOW MAY WE SERVE THE COUNCIL, MY LORD?**_ “

"A new lead on the Kashvar attacks,” he said breathlessly.  "We’ve found their secret base!“

*******

The Kashvar’s latest weapon of mass destruction was a monster called Vorshiki, which resembled a hideous flying lizard of enormous size.  It could teleport across interstellar space, an ability the Kashvar used to launch attacks on various planets in the Wistian sphere of influence.  

Naturally the Mystic Council launched an investigation to track down the Kashvar, but they were shocked to discover that the enemy had been had been controlling Vorshiki from a secret base on Planet Wist itself.  When the Shockmaster and Groundshaker exposed their lair, they summoned Vorshiki to protect themselves.

The battle had been ferocious, but the Shockmaster had won the day.  The Vorshiki was utterly destroyed, and the Groundshaker had captured the Kashvar before they could make any more trouble.

Now, as work crews arrived to begin repairing the damage to the city, the Shockmaster stood alone, and looked pensively at the crater in the road where Vorshiki had met its end.  Nearby, the Groundshaker was giving an official report to a representative from the Mystic Council.

This never should have been allowed to happen, the Shockmaster thought to himself.  The Kashvar were a fanatical race of black magicians who believed the universe was theirs alone, and that all other species were to be eradicated.  They had menaced the galaxy since time immemorial, but they had never dared a direct attack on the Wist Hegemony or its interests.  Until now.

Now, the Kashvar were bold enough to wage their genocidal war from the Wistian homeworld, right under the noses of its citizens!  And when discovered, did they cower in fear and beg for their lives?  No, they went on the offensive, bringing their monster here to fight.  It was the first such battle fought on Wistian soil in over a hundred centuries!

And the Shockmaster had won, yes.  The people were grateful as always.   _But the battle should have never been fought!_

How he longed for the days of old, when Wist was unchallenged in the universe!  He dreamed of restoring it to that stature, though with each passing day he wondered more and more if it was too late.  Perhaps the decay was irreversible.    Other enemies would brazenly attack Wist, and her people would simply be grateful for men like the Shockmaster who protected them.  And in return for that protection, they would perpetuate Wist’s decline, until there was nothing left of value.

"Oi, Shocky-baby.  Grand bit of work out there, brah.  Anytime you’re in the borough an’ you want to have a brew, just give me a shout, hey?”

He turned and saw a man smiling at him, offering his hand in friendship.  He was wearing a lime green kilt with a slit that exposed his left thigh, and his upper body was wrapped in what looked like a series of interconnected belts.  The Shockmaster was familiar with the fashion, but too revolted to learn its name.  As the man grinned and looked up at him, the piercings on his lips and eyebrows glinted in the sunlight.  His hair had somehow been artificially colored, arranged to form three peg-like columns that were lined up in a row  that ran from his forehead to the back of his neck.

Perhaps it was the recent battle, or centuries of pent up frustration, or the Mystic Council’s refusal to grant his request, or the way this man spoke to him like an equal.

Whatever it was, in that moment, the Shockmaster didn’t see the man as a fellow Wistian, or as an innocent person, or a grateful admirer.  In that moment, the Shockmaster could only see an enemy of everything he held dear.  A threat to the continued safety and prosperity of Wist.  A monster just as insidious and destructive as the one he had just slain.

In that moment, the Shockmaster unleashed a torrent of lightning upon the man.

It was only a brief indiscretion.  He came to his senses almost immediately and ceased his attack, but the damage was already done.  The man collapsed to the ground and started convulsing, and passers-by noticed the incident right away.  The Groundshaker turned when she heard the crackle of lightning, and gasped with horror.

The woman from the Council sprang into action at once, rushing to the fallen civilian’s side and weaving spells to ease his pain and heal his injuries, but there was only so much she could do on the spot.  There were burns that would require more extensive treatment, and the Shockmaster could only speculate on what internal injuries he had inflicted.

“ _ **What happened?!**_ ” the Groundshaker shouted.  The answer to that was obvious.  What she really wanted to know was _why_.  No, what she really wanted was for him to reveal a perfectly logical reason for what he had done, to say that this man was a powerful enemy disguised as a helpless, unarmed civilian.

But he couldn’t tell her this, and so he simply stared down at his victim, and awaited the consequences.

*******

* * *

_**[5 August, 238 Before Age. Planet Wist.]** _

“They tried him, of course.  Not that they had the power to compel him to stand trial.  By that time the Mystic Council was far weaker than in the era that birthed the Shockmaster.  If not for his respect for jurisprudence, no force on the planet would have been enough to stop him.    And he _did_ save them all from the Kashvar, so there was that.”

“How can you say that he and I have anything in common, Tobiko?” M’ranga asked.    “He was sworn to defend his people, and then he assaulted one of his own countrymen?  Without the slightest provokation?  He was as brutal then as he is now, only this time he doesn’t have the Mystic Council to answer to.  Not that they had much control over him in the first place…”

“I say you are alike because of your idealism,” Tobiko explained.    "This isn’t your home world, yet you fight for its people as if it were, because you consider it to be the right thing to do.  The fact that many Wistians object to your intervention is unimportant to you.

“The Shockmaster was driven by similar ideals of right and wrong, and eventually his ideology overshadowed his reality.  In the end he was more focused on the Ideal Wist of his imagination than the one he was supposed to be protecting.    I cannot tell you why he attacked that man, but I’m certain his discontent with the world had something to do with it.  In the end, Wist had changed, and he had remained the same, until he could no longer recognize his own people.”

“And you think that could happen to me someday, is that it?    I either die a hero or live long enough to become a villain?  I refuse to believe those are our only choices.”

“Nor do I,” Tobiko said.  "I merely submit that the Shockmaster’s fall from grace can serve as a cautionary tale against rigid adherence to a cause.  The Shockmaster craved a new Golden Age, but gold is soft, flexible, and ductile.  Now that he has power, we see a reign of antimony, brittle and dubious.“

"Is that what happened to you?” M'ranga asked.  

“My banishment provided me with a change of perspective,” Tobiko said.  "Like the Shockmaster, I feared that Wist was losing its way, sacrificing long-term political stability for temporary security.  I was born some twelve centuries after the Shockmaster’s sentencing, and in those days Wist was relying more and more upon private mercenaries to bolster its military.  I spoke out against this, calling for Wist to end its policies of military adventurism, and this offended enough special interests to seal my fate.  

“Their punishment was cruel, but it allowed me to see the bigger picture.  Over time, the sorcerers ceded more and more power to the Wistian generals, who relied more and more upon the foreign fighters, until eventually a powerful faction of mercenaries were ruling the planet through Wistian proxies.  Eventually, they dispensed with the proxies, and the Lords of Goldwall claimed sovereignty outright.  But to see it all happen so _gradually_ , I realized that it wasn’t the disaster I had feared during my political career.  One day the last traces of Wist were gone, but life went on.  And my agenda was fulfilled.  The military adventurism _did_ stop, after all.  Not because anyone listened to me, or because it was the right thing to do, but because Wist and its military had ceased to exist.   I could do very little to alter the course of events, and in time, I learned that it might be better that way.”

“Then why did you help us when the Shockmaster first returned?” M'ranga asked.  "You could have stayed in your swamp and waited for things to play out like always.“

He rose from his seat and glanced down at the gem in his hand.  "Like me, the Shockmaster is a living relic of a bygone, a man out of time.  Unlike me, he does not recognize this.  The Mystic Council preserved him like a fly in amber, sealing him away in suspended animation.  They feared he might turn against him someday, but what they feared even more was that they might need him even more in the future.  The idea was that there would come a time when the Mystic Council could summon him once more in their hour of need, but that time never came.  Now he stands unleashed in a world that has forgotten his values, and he remains as embittered and uncompromising as the day he was sentenced.  I feared that he was too anomalous, that he would cause far more suffering than I was willing to ignore.  At first, I was unsure how to proceed, but then I found you and Scotch Woodcock bravely opposing his takeover.  It reminded me of myself when I was younger, back when I was willing to take a stand even if I didn’t have all the answers.”

He held up the gemstone and showed it to her.  "That is why I asked you to retrieve this Crystal Chronicle for me, Ensign.   The Shockmaster lacks historical context, and while I can fill in some of the gaps, we need more information before we can act.  Unfortunately, my cursory examination of the Chronicle reveals that it would reject my attempts to use it directly.“

"Because of your curse,” M'ranga said.  "There has to be another way.“

"I believe there _is_ ,” Tobiko said, “but it will not be easy…”

*******

* * *

**_[9 July, 7018 Before Age.  Planet Wist.]_ **

It was appropriate that he be sentenced here, in the Great Hall of the Mystic Council.  This was where his father had saved the gutless cowards from Beerus the Destroyer.  This was where they had begged him to don the Helm of Power and rescue their decrepit empire from their own ineptitude.  This was where he had stood to receive orders every day for the last four hundred seventy-three years.   Orders to ignore the decay of society while he propped up their failing regime.  This was where they had denied his simple request to put things right again.  

“I pray, noble Shockmaster, that this will not mark the end of your service,” the Council Elder said solemnly.  

“ _ **MY DUTY IS EVER TO WIST**_ ,” the Shockmaster declared.  To himself he added: _the true Wist, not the pathetic joke you have allowed it to become_.  

“Know that should our successors ever have need of a great champion, they shall summon you to aid them, as you have aided us for so long.”

“ _ **I SHALL AWAIT THEIR CALL**_ ,” he replied.  It was only a matter of time, after all.  They were fools, and their descendants could not help but become even more foolish.  Without men of conscience like himself and his father to help them, they would be lost and helpless.  At least this way he would awaken to a world that actually wanted his help.

The Elder nodded and joined hands with two of his colleagues.  They performed a series of ritualistic chants, and he felt himself fading, as if into a deep sleep.  

His last conscious thought was that when he next awakened, he would let nothing stand in his way.

*******

* * *

_**[7 August, 238 Before Age. Planet Wist.]** _

“You’re certain you wish to do this?” Tobiko asked.  He had spent the past forty hours devising a workaround that would allow his magic to decrypt the Crystal Chronicle without directly accessing it himself.  She had no intention of backing out now, although she supposed she could understand why he was asking.

“It’s the only way,” Ensign Liberty said.  "Your curse prevents you from using the Chronicle, so it’s down to either me or Scotch, and it might reject Scotch because he’s an alien.“

"Yes, but you’re an alien too, Ensign,” Tobiko reminded her.  "I can’t be sure of the risks…“

"Risk is my business,” she insisted.  "If there’s a chance of discovering the Shockmaster’s plans in that gem, something that can help us defeat him and liberate your people, then I’m willing to try.“

"Very well,” Tobiko said.  Sitting in a lotus position, he began to wave his webbed hands, making a series of esoteric gestures until he Chronicle floated from its pedestal and hung in mid-air, directly in front of his face.  "I shall need but a moment more to align the mystic fields.  Please stand and focus your attention on the crystal.“

She did as he asked.  For a few seconds, nothing happened, and she wondered if something had gone wrong.  Finally, he spoke again.

"Good, now hold out your arms,” he said.  "No, lower.  A little lower…“

She brought her outstretched arms down until her hands were roughly level with her abdomen, but he said nothing further.  She wasn’t sure what to do with her hands.  After another delay, she finally asked:  "Is this righ–?”

And then suddenly the crystal glowed bright green, and her mind was flooded with so many images and sounds that it felt as if she had been struck by a physical force.  For a moment, M’ranga worried that the unexpected blow might have caused her to flinch, disrupting the pose Tobiko had requested.  Then she realized that she was no longer aware of her own body.

It seemed that she now existed as a being of pure consciousness, surrounded by pure information.  Tobiko had spoken of “accessing” the Chronicle’s records, but this was nothing like what she had expected.  It was as though her mind had somehow entered the gem’s very memory… or it had entered hers… or perhaps it no longer made a difference.

She found that if she concentrated, she could filter the deluge of information and focus on key points of interest.  Slowly, the swirl of images and words began to make more sense.  This was the Crystal Chronicle, an artifact used to record the history of Wistian Civilization.  It contained thousands of years worth of knowledge and wisdom, covering topics from all walks of life: governance, agriculture, technology, magic, science, engineering, philosophy, bureaucratic data, art, and many more.  The answers to her questions seemed to spring into her mind almost as quickly as she could ask them.

As she struggled to express the purpose of her visit, she found that the exchange of information went both ways.

_Are there records on the Shockmaster?_

[Yes, over one hundred thousand individual files.  Who are you?]

_My name is M’ranga.  I’m a revolutionary trying to free your planet’s people.  I need to know what the Shockmaster wants from Planet Extraliga._

[You are not of Wist.  What is your world of origin?]

_I’m from the Planet Basteel in the Gallis Sector.  Please, I need to know–_

[Is your attire typical of your culture?]

_I designed it in honor of the spirit of the Great Revolutionaries of my homeworld.  It’s made from a special material that repels–_

[Are the colors symbolic?]

_Yes.  The red represents the noble blood of patriots who died in the name of–_

[Why aren’t you wearing pants?]

_It’s the style of costumed freedom fighters of my world’s history.  Why does it matter what I wear?  Tobiko only wears breeches made of seaweed._

[Tobiko was banished from the council of Elders in Year 29,874 of the Wistian Reform Calendar.  He was cursed to live in exile as a swamp creature for not less than–]

And on it went.  The Chronicle asked questions faster than she could answer them, and the answers it gave her in return seemed to distract her from the matter at hand.  Curious about the nature of Tobiko’s curse, she found herself learning about the Wistian legal precedent behind it.  Then she became engrossed in the sorcery that had transformed him into a swamp creature, and how it might be possible to reverse the effect.  As she researched this, the Chronicle interrogated her on the cultural and historical background of her tricorne hat, and the physical properties of the special material of her costume.

And then, in the middle of researching political theory of Wist’s Third Dynasty, while informing the Chronicle of her planet’s attitudes on gender as a social construct, she remembered why she was here in the first place.  With great effort, she struggled to separate herself from the Crystal’s immense flow of information, and she forced herself to formulate a specific query:

_What did the Shockmaster want on Extraliga?_

It wasn’t that simple, of course.  She had to ask a dozen follow-up questions to narrow things down, and each time she had to resist the urge to respond to the Crystal’s questions about her own knowledge.

And then, as she felt she couldn’t go on any longer, and it seemed that her very sense of self would be absorbed into the Chronicle’s endless stream of information, she suddenly found herself back in Tobiko’s inner sanctum, standing before him with her arms held out at a particular angle.

Disoriented, she took a step forward and grasped at her forehead with one hand.

“How… how long…?”

“A few seconds,” Tobiko replied.  "I sensed your consciousness becoming overwhelmed, and terminated the spell.“

” _Seconds?!_ “ she exclaimed.  "It felt like… like…!”

With a wave of his hand the crystal returned to its pedestal and he rose to his feet.  "I apologize,“ he said as he gently took hold of her shoulders to steady her.  "Though it seems you were able to link with the Chronicle, you had no way to navigate its archives.”

He led her to a cushion of moss, where she sat down and tried to collect her thoughts.  The sensation of her body against the cushion, of Tobiko’s hands on her, even her own hand on her face was strange.  Gradually, it became more and more reassuring.  She was alive, corporeal, individual.

“Don’t apologize, Tobiko,” she said after several minutes.  "It didn’t go quite the way we planned, but it worked.  The Chronicle told me about Extraliga.  It showed me what the Shockmaster wanted from that world.“

"What is that?” Tobiko asked.

“I’m not completely sure,” she said.  "I’ll need your help to sort out what I learned, but I know this much: If someone don’t stop him, a lot of innocent people are going to die.“

**NEXT: The Triumph of Wist.**


	61. Chapter 61

**_[24 November 236 Before Age.  Extraliga.]_ **

The distance from one end of the galaxy to the other was vast, almost too great to contemplate.  Light travels 186,000 miles per second.  A beam of light emanating from the planet Wist would take tens of thousands of years to reach the planet Extraliga on the opposite side.

Compared to this immense timescale, the ability to travel the same distance by starship in only six weeks would normally come as a relief for anyone planning a trip.  For the Shockmaster, it was still far too long.  He had waited centuries, and while he was willing to wait a little longer, he bristled at each delay that had been put in his path.

The answer to everything lay on Extraliga.  He had learned this long ago, but the shortsighted leaders of Ancient Wist forbade him to go.  Fearing that he might defy them, they waited for him to commit a trivial offense and used it as a pretext to seal him away for thousands of years.  They feared his plans, but what they feared even more was an uncertain future without his immense power to protect them.  If the day ever came when their successors truly needed him, they would be able to release him from his confinement.

But they never did, and instead he awoke to find himself in a decrepit society built upon the ruins of the one he knew.  The culture he had sworn to protect was long dead, but this was a blessing in disguise.  For now there was no one to stop him from bringing about its resurrection.

His initial efforts had been clumsy.  Disgusted with the people of “Goldwall”, who had inherited the planet during his long slumber, he had tried to forcibly assimilate them into a replica of the world he remembered.  They had readily embraced this at first, but he had found the results deeply unsatisfying.  No matter how hard the Goldwallish tried, they would never truly become the culture he once cherished.

Impatiently, he had accelerated his plans to invade Extraliga, opening a long-forgotten wormhole to deploy his forces in a matter of minutes instead of weeks.  The Goldwallish had many wondrous Wistian devices to support the war effort, but they had long since forgotten their true purpose, and thought of them as mere relics.  With the Shockmaster’s knowledge, the way to Extraliga became clear and swift.  He had wanted to go there himself right away, but forced himself to wait.  There was no telling how much Extraliga had changed in his absence, and so he had used his troops to gauge their resistance while he consolidated his power on Wist.

The Super Saiyan had proven to be the greatest obstacle.  In a matter of days, she had neutralized his invasion force, sealed the wormhole, and launched a counterattack against him.  Her motives were ridiculously confused, but ultimately unimportant.  Despite the damage she had inflicted upon Wist’s military and civilian infrastructure, he had defeated her with ease, and forced her to retreat in shame.  She had set back his cause, but only by a few months, and this was a small price to pay for the knowledge he had gained.

This time, he had been forced to assemble an invasion fleet, largely comprised of hired ships crewed by mercenaries.  Without the wormhole, he had been required to make the six week trek by stardrive to Extraliga, where his forces had needed to fight their way past the orbital defenses to reach the surface.  The Extraligans had been ready this time, and they had been backed by the power of their Federation allies.

Now, as he strode across the plains of Extraliga’s eastern continent, surrounded by a legion of his troops, he concluded that it was better this way.  The first invasion had bypassed most of these problems, and even though failed, it had still revealed enough information about Extraliga’s weaknesses to prove that a second, more conventional invasion would succeed.  If the Shockmaster had joined the first invasion, he could have cut the Super Saiyan’s counterattack short, but she might have sealed the wormhole and destroyed the planet out of spite.

This way, she had been humiliated well in advance, and the news of her defeat had reverberated through Extraliga’s other defenders.  The Federation’s warriors still fought against his, determined to prevent him from establishing a beachhead on the planet.  But they refused to confront the Shockmaster directly, knowing that he was too powerful for even their mightiest ally.  The best they could manage was to harass his forces on other parts of the planet, leaving him free to move at will.

“Alpha Company reports they have pacified the capital,” his aide said as they toured the camp his men were setting up.  He had promoted Tigon after the failure of the first invasion.  He had also promised her as a bodyslave to one of the mercenary captains, a self-styled “General” Lekvar, as part of his fee, though she didn’t know that yet.  For the time being, she had served as a proficient, albeit reluctant–executor.  With the powers he had bestowed her, she had recruited the troops and coordinated the ships and suppressed dissent on Wist.  But she still resented his neglect of the Wistian civilian population, and her usefulness to his cause was nearing an end.  Still, she would be difficult to replace.

“ _ **WHAT OF THE FLEET IN ORBIT?**_ ” he asked, his deep, rasping voice booming from seemingly everywhere at once.

Tigon shook her head.  "Two more of our ships were destroyed by the unknown surface weapon,“ she said.  "One of them was the ship we ordered to track down the weapon and disable it.”

He clenched his fists, but made no other response.  Extraliga had surface-to-orbit plasma cannons all over the globe, but his forces knew where they were and how to avoid their fire or destroy them.  Indeed at least half of these weapons had already been neutralized.  But the Extraligans had added something new to their arsenal since the last invasion.  It was at least twice as powerful as the usual cannons, and apparently mobile.  Whatever it was, it seemed to move across the planet faster than his ships could react, like a sniper moving through tree cover as he picked off soldiers in a clearing.

This had proven to be a disruption to his plans, but it also supported his assessment of the Extraligans’ flagging morale.  Whatever this weapon was, they didn’t dare turn it upon the Shockmaster himself, and so all they could do was pick off a few of his ships.

But the ships, like Tigon, were expendable.  Extraliga was simply delaying the inevitable.

“ _ **HAS THERE BEEN ANY INTELLIGENCE ON THE SUPER SAIYAN?**_ ” he asked.

On this matter, Tigon had to rush over to another officer to ask for an update on enemy communications.  He crossed his arms while he waited for the answer, but it made little difference.  Luffa was a potential obstacle to his plans, but only a minor one, and he had already taken her into account.

Weeks ago, his spies had reported that the Super Saiyan had gone into seclusion on some far-off planet in the galactic core.  Knowing the Saiyans, she was either training to avenge her defeat at his hands, or she had abandoned the Federation in utter despair.  The Saiyans thought themselves to be proud and mighty warriors, but in truth they were brutish dullards with fragile egos.  Deal them even the slightest setback and they would flee to find a battle they could win more easily.

Luffa was a sign of the times.  In the days of Ancient Wist, Saiyans were understood to be nothing more than beasts and craven mercenaries.    Today, the galaxy practically worshiped one of them as some sort of folk hero, as if she actually stood for anything besides her own base appetites.  They relied on her to broker alliances and settle their petty disputes simply because she was immensely strong.

That would all come to an end very soon.  Once his business on Extraliga was finished, Wist would be restored to its former glory, and there would be a great power to lead the galaxy once again.

“No reports of Saiyan activity of any kind in this sector, My Partner,” Tigon announced.

He chuckled with approval.  It was as he expected.  He didn’t know the exact location of the Super Saiyan’s lair, but it hardly mattered.  The center of the galaxy was at least three weeks away from Extraliga.  Even if she found the courage to challenge him again, by the time she finally arrived it would be far too late.

The only real threat to his plan now was that his enemies might attempt to destroy Extraliga rather than allow it to be conquered.  The Federation starfleet had sufficient combined firepower to scour the planet’s biosphere, but such a concerted effort would leave them vulnerable to his own ships.  A warrior far weaker than Luffa could still have enough _ki_ energy to destroy a planet, but an interloper that strong would instantly detected by the Shockmaster’s own _ki_ senses.  Since arriving on the surface, the only significant power levels he had sensed were his own, and those of his strongest allies.

Satisfied that there were no genuine threats to his victory, he decided that it was time to crush Extraliga’s resistance once and for all, beginning with the mysterious weapon that was harassing his fleet.

“ _ **CONTACT THE FLEET**_ ,” he bellowed.  " _ **ORDER ALL SHIPS OVER THIS CONTINENT TO ASSUME GEOSYNCHRONOUS ORBIT OVER THIS POSITION.**_ “

Tigon was confused at first, but when she realized what he was up to she nodded and went to relay the order.  There was no sense of triumph in her expression.  He could tell that she, like most of the Wistians under his command, no longer cared whether they won or lost the war, so long as it came to a swift end.  He also knew that he didn’t care how they felt about it, so long as they obeyed him.

The new deployment would put his ships at risk if the Federation fleet moved in to attack, but he knew they wouldn’t, because it would mean coming in range of the Shockmaster’s power, and he could pick off their ships just as their mystery weapon had been picking off his.  This way, he would either lure his opposition into a direct assault, or force them to back down.  Either way, the initiative would be his.

For an hour, the camp was quiet.  His troops continued their work and the ships overhead held their position.  Then a beam of light appeared from the eastern horizon.  It crossed the sky, moving ever upward, until a brilliant point of light appeared over the camp, like a newborn star.

*******

* * *

High above the Extraligan atmosphere, General Lekvar stood on the bridge of his flagship, the _Saucy Sexhaver_.  He crossed his arms, and tapped his finger impatiently against his elbow.  

This was taking too long.  Considering how anxious the Shockmaster had been to reach this planet, Lekvar had assumed that he would waste no time in conquering it with his invincible power.  Instead, he was holding back, as if he needed the civilian population to survive for some reason.  An orbital bombardment would have taken the fight out of the Extraligans in a fraction of the time it had taken to soften up their defenses and land ground troops.  

At the very least, those ground troops could have done something about the surface-to-orbit weapon that had been sniping at the fleet since they arrived.  Instead, the Shockmaster was having them gather together over his position, as if that would solve anything.  Even if the Shockmaster could protect them from the ground, holding position left them vulnerable to some other attack.  

The worst part was that he had to take these orders from Tigon.  Lovely as it was to hear her voice, he preferred to save that pleasure for after the battle was over and the Shockmaster turned her over to him as payment.  He had _plans_ for that woman, but first they would have to win the battle, and that didn’t seem to be happening anytime soon.  

"General!” cried one of his officers from the tactical station.  "Incoming fire from the surface!“

"Take evasive–” Lekvar began to say, but before he could even finish his order, the entire bridge was engulfed in crimson flames.  A moment later, the entire ship exploded.  

*******

* * *

“ _ **WHAT WAS THAT?**_ ” the Shockmaster demanded.

Tigon rushed to the communications station, where she hurriedly conferred with the soldiers manning the sensor grids.  "Another ship destroyed!“ she shouted, though this only confirmed the obvious.  "We’ve pinpointed the origin of that blast, but there’s no sign of any vehicle!”

He didn’t care about the details.  The Extraligans’ secret weapon could remain a secret as long as it was destroyed.  He was about to give orders to bombard the source of the attack, when suddenly a second beam of light fired up into the sky from out of the northwest. Once again, a point of light winked into existence and faded away.  Another starship destroyed.

“The mercenary ships overhead are breaking orbit,” Tigon reported.  "We’ve pinpointed the source of the second attack but…“

” _ **REPORT, TIGON,**_ “ the Shockmaster commanded.

"It’s _five miles_ from the position of the first attack,” she said, struggling to contain her frustration.  "And there’s still no heat signature.  There’s no vehicle, no life signs… Even if something _could_ move that fast… No.  No, there has to be two of them–!“

"ORDER BOMBARDMENTS ON BOTH POSITIONS,” the Shockmaster commanded.   “TELL THE FLEET TO OPEN FIRE ON ANY SHIPS THAT ATTEMPT TO RETREAT.”

Tigon swallowed hard, but gave no argument.  The Extraligan weapon–or weapons–was proving more nimble than he had expected, but his plan was still working.   With each shot, with each ship destroyed, his army could learn more and more, until at last they could force a decisive confrontation.  It would cost his fleet dearly, but the Shockmaster was willing to pay the price.  At least this way he had the mystery weapon’s attention focused on a single area, allowing his other forces to operate more freely elsewhere.

There was a third beam of light from the southeast, then two more in the west.  With each shot, another ship was destroyed.  Eventually, Tigon and her subordinates managed to determine the shooter was operating within a ten mile radius of the camp, though there was no obvious way to predict the location of the next shot.

And then, another shot was fired from a much steeper angle.  Everyone in the camp could hear it this time.  Tigon looked up from the sensor grid and said: “That came from less than five hundred yards away!”

Furious, the Shockmaster took flight, racing out into the general direction of the source of the blast.  With his speed, he didn’t need to know a precise location.  He could simply cover the entire area, or reduce it to a smoldering crater if necessary.  He didn’t expect to find the shooter.  Whatever it was, it was fast enough to have already moved on, but if he could catch a glimpse of it, or spot tracks or other clues, then it would surely–

He heard the weapon fire again, and this time the sound came from behind him.  He turned around in midair just in time to see the energy beam fading from view.

It had come from the middle of his own camp.

In a rage, the Shockmaster streaked back to the camp as fast as he could.  There was a cloud of debris billowing up from where the weapon had fired.  As he reached the site, he could see his soldiers mobilizing to defend themselves.

It didn’t make sense!  How could the enemy have gotten anywhere near the camp without being spotted?  Then, as he landed in the center of the camp, he realized his soldiers _had_ seen the enemy, but hadn’t been able to react quickly enough.

Tigon was there to meet him.  The tall Wistian woman was still wearing her headset from the comm station, though it had been jostled loose and lay crooked on her head.    She was covered in dust, indicating she was nearby when the weapon had fired.  

“One person, wearing one of our uniforms!  Dressed like a technician–” she blurted out.  "By the time we knew what was going on, they had already disappeared into the crowd.“

” _ **FIND HIM, TIGON!**_ “ the Shockmaster demanded.

"I’ve already ordered the troops to battle stations,” she said breathlessly.  "I’ll assemble a search team, and–“

"Don’t bother.  I’m right here.”

They both turned to find one of the soldiers standing on top of a supply crate, brandishing a pipe.  She started banging it against the edge of the crate, as if trying to draw even more attention to herself than she already had.

“Stay where you are!” Tigon shouted.

The intruder laughed.  

Tigon leaped up to the crate to tackle the warrior.  Though the Shockmaster had empowered her with the merest fraction of his own might, she was still extremely formidable, and he found himself mildly impressed with how quickly she closed the distance to the enemy.  Her right hand was already extended to seize the pipe before the enemy could attempt to use it–

And then Tigon was suddenly thrown back again.  She went sailing through the camp like a shot-put until she crashed head-first into a barracks wall.

That was when the Shockmaster noticed the enemy’s tail.  She had swatted Tigon with it, and now it waved freely beside her left hip.  

The intruder crossed her arms and made a derisive snort.  "Any more flunkies you want to throw at me?“ she asked.  "No?  Then _let’s get on with it._ ”

Before the Shockmaster could react, the intruder tensed up for a moment, and then a golden light burst forth from her body.  The helmet and visor that obscured her face flew off, revealing a head of glowing yellow hair.  The grey technician’s coverall she had used to sneak into the camp was torn to shreds, revealing a sleeveless black shirt and baggy yellow pants underneath.

To the Shockmaster’s _ki_ senses, it was as if the woman had appeared out of thin air.  One moment she had possessed no _ki_ at all, and in the next she was overflowing with it.

“ _ **IMPOSSIBLE,**_ ” the Shockmaster said.  " ** _I WOULD HAVE SENSED YOUR POWER BEFORE.  MY FLEET WOULD HAVE DETECTED THE SHIP THAT BROUGHT YOU HERE!_** “

She turned her head and spat.  "What’s _impossible_ is that a Saiyan would be so cowardly to stay away from a good scrap like this,” Luffa replied.  "You should have _known_ I’d be here, Shockmaster, and that I’d be ready to _finish you_.“

” _ **YOU’RE NO MATCH FOR ME,**_ “ he grumbled.   ” ** _AT BEST, YOU CAN ONLY DESTROY THE PLANET TO DENY MY PRIZE, BUT YOU FORFEITED THAT OPTION BY COMING HERE._** “

"Destroy the…?”  She was genuinely confused, and then she laughed.  "I get it now.  You think I’m _desperate_.  You think I’ll blow up Extraliga out of spite, is that it?“

She raised her hand and curled her fingers inward, beckoning him to come closer.  "Well if that’s what you want to believe, go ahead.   Just try and stop me.”

By now, every soldier in the camp had gathered around to see what was happening.  They had their weapons at the ready, but none of them had taken aim.  They knew they were no match for the Super Saiyan, and that it was up to the Shockmaster alone to deal with her.

He knew he could defeat her.  He had done it before, and even if she had become stronger, it would never be enough to overcome the summation of Ancient Wistian power that flowed through him.  She thought his confidence was based on prejudice against the Saiyan race, but it was actually faith in the Wistian civilization that had created him.  There was simply no doubt in his mind.

And yet she had managed to _surprise_ him.  How did she arrive on Extraliga in time to confront his invasion?    How had she avoided detection until now?  Why _hadn’t_ she destroyed the planet already?  It was the only way left for her to avenge her pride, or was it?

This had to be a diversion.    That was the only explanation.  She knew she couldn’t beat him, but if she could trick him into wasting time on another battle, one of her allies could execute some secret plan.  In that case, he needed to finish this quickly.

He summoned his power, and violet lightning began to circle his body.  With a thought, he took back the portion of the power he had given to Tigon.  He didn’t expect to need it, but the woman was no longer of any use to him now, and there was no point in taking chances.

“ _Yes_ , that’s it,” Luffa growled.  The smile on her face grew wider as his power increased.  She was actually… pleased?  "Show me!“ she screamed.  ” _Show me what you’ve got!_ “

At last, he decided he had powered up enough to knock her unconscious in a single blow.  He wouldn’t sully his honor by killing her.  One of the troops could see to that, or he could simply leave her to her fate.  Surely a second loss would break even her stubborn resolve.  He reached back his massive fist, and launched it at Luffa’s face.

She didn’t move.  She just followed his hand with her eyes, her face contorted into a twisted, eager smile.

**NEXT: The Rematch.**


	62. Chapter 62

**_[24 November 236 Before Age.  Extraliga.]_ **

  
The Shockmaster’s punch hit home, and Luffa staggered backward from the force of the blow.  Yet she stayed on her feet.  The yellow aura that flashed around her body thrummed as strong and as steady as ever.  A second later, she reached up with one hand to touch her jaw, then she stood up straight again and chuckled.

“Good one,” she said.  "But you’re still holding back.  You still don’t want to kill me.“

 _ **"I WON’T KILL, LUFFA,**_ ” he insisted.

“That’s right, you won’t sink to _my level_.  You’ll just get one of your soldiers to finish me off, right?”

She looked around at the Wistian soldiers who had gathered around the two of them.  "How about it?!“ she shouted.  "Anyone here want to try to kill _me_?  Your leader’s too _scared_ to do it himself.”

The Shockmaster made an irritated growl, and readied another punch.  Luffa turned her back on him.

“Fair warning!” she called to the soldiers.  "The last guy who tried to finish me off?  He’s _dead_.  So maybe you ought to run away while you still can.  Or stay and fight, if you have the courage.  Shocky needs all the help he can get!“

The Shockmaster threw a second punch, but this time Luffa dodged it.  She grabbed his forearm, and swung him forward, using his own momentum to send him flying into his own soldiers.

"Come on!” she screamed.  "You’re warriors, _aren’t you_?! You came here for a fight didn’t you?!   _Well I sure as hell did_!“

She raised her left hand and swung her arm towards the sky, pointing two fingers directly above her head.

"Vengeance Canon,” she muttered.

A streak of crimson light erupted from her fingertips.  A moment later, a point of light appeared in the sky, indicating a ship she had destroyed.

The soldiers were dumbfounded.  Most of them either stared at her or looked fearfully to the Shockmaster.  A few of them moved in to help him up, but he was on his feet before they could touch him.

“Vengeance Cannon,” Luffa said as she fired again.  Another point of light appeared in the sky.

The Shockmaster charged towards her, and she leaped into the air, avoiding him with ease and landing squarely on the top of his glittering silver helmet.

“Vengeance Cannon!” Luffa shouted, firing into the sky once again.    "You were right, Shocky.  You _won’t_ kill me, not as long as you keep trying to toy with me the way you did last time!  If you don’t start taking this seriously, you won’t have any ships left!“

He roared and grabbed for her ankles, but she had already jumped down from his head and now stood directly behind him.  When he turned to find her, she delivered an elbow to his voluminous gut.

” _Vengeance Cannon!_ “ she screeched, firing at the sky again.   _"Do something about it!”_

At last, he stopped chasing her and stood his ground, summoning more of his power.  Luffa watched him with perverse fascination.

“That’s it!” she screamed.  "More!“

*******

* * *

In orbit, the Shockmaster’s invasion fleet had broken formation and moved to a higher orbit to avoid Luffa’s attacks.  Most of the crews had no idea who was firing upon them.  The working theory up to this point had been that the Extraligans had some new weapon in their arsenal, something powerful enough to shoot down enemy ships from the surface, but small enough and mobile enough to avoid return fire.  

But a number of mercenaries in the fleet had the ability to sense _ki_ powers, and when Luffa’s was suddenly revealed, they reported it to their leaders.

"It can’t be _her_ ,” insisted Cosia, the robotic captain of the mercenary ship _Infinite Recursion_.  "She couldn’t have fired upon us and concealed her _ki_ at the same time.   It doesn’t compute!“

"I don’t know how she did it,” replied Ty-83.  The humanoid man was one of the few organic beings in the universe to earn Cosia’s trust.   “But I’ve sensed Saiyan power before.  Only _this_ is beyond any Saiyan I’ve ever encountered.  It has to be the Super Saiyan.  Captain, if she gets past the Shockmaster, there’ll be nothing to stop her from destroying us next.”

“The Shockmaster is our client,” Cosia said flatly.  "If we abandon him now, we will forfeit our payment, to say nothing of the damage to our professional reputation.“

"We can’t spend our pay if we’re dead, Captain,” Ty-83 said.  

Cosia considered this for a moment, calculating whether her nickel-rhenium frame could survive the destruction of her ship.  

“Helm, take us to the opposite side of the planet from the battle,” she commanded.  "And tell the engine room to be ready to take us out of the system.  For now, we will wait and see how the Shockmaster handles this.“

*******

* * *

The Shockmaster tried to hit her again, and this time she hit back, their fists colliding at the midpoint between them.  The impact made a sound like thunder, and the air around them seemed to ripple from the sheer magnitude of the forces at play.

Many of the soldiers watching decided to take Luffa’s advice and ran.  Many more were too stunned to move, and they became engrossed by the battle that unfolded before them.

The Shockmaster continued to throw punches, only for Luffa to block with punches of her own.  This repeated itself over and over, faster and faster, and then the two of them vanished from sight as they began to move across the ground and through the air, much faster than any Wistian eye could follow.

It was at this point that Tigon regained consciousness, and slowly began to re-establish control of the camp.

"All personnel, full retreat,” she said weakly, still rubbing her face from where Luffa had batted her away with her tail.  "We expected something like this.  Find a radio and raise III Corps.  Tell them to rendezvous with us at coordinates… 67J.“

The troops were shaken, but they still followed orders.  She could sense the Shockmaster’s power had been withdrawn from her body, and she wondered whether that meant he was being careful… or desperate.

*******

* * *

"Do you want to know where you screwed up?” Luffa asked.

The Shockmaster refused to dignify that with a response.  Luffa had tried to bait him with idle chatter in their last fight.  That she was doing it again only proved she had learned nothing from her past defeat.

And yet, he found her new tactics bewildering.  Before, she had focused on gathering large stores of _ki_ and unleashing it in big attacks.  Between these onslaughts, she would dodge and use diversions while she gathered her strength to try again.  None of this had worked against him, but he understood the basic approach.

This time, she was fighting at an even keel.  She would dodge and block, and sometimes strike, but she wasn’t building up to anything.    It was as if she was trying to wear him out, except that was impossible.  His powers had sustained him for millennia.  In their last encounter, _she_ had been the one to collapse from exhaustion.  He had expected her to try to end this quickly, before her body succumbed to the strain.

It all felt like a trap somehow, but he didn’t seriously expect her to explain that to him.

“You’re _incredibly_ strong,” she said.  "But you don’t understand _war_.  You’re just used to dominating enemies with your power.  It’s made you sloppy.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m speaking from personal experience.  I know how tempting it can be to fall back on brute force.“

He charged his left hand with power until it glowed bright violet, and fired a burst of energy at Luffa’s head.  She ducked, batting the blast away with her right forearm, and moved inside his reach to hit him in the abdomen.

"I’m not saying you’re a lousy _fighter_ ,” she added, as though the last exchange had never happened.  "You beat _me_ , after all.  But you couldn’t finish the job.  Just like you keep blowing this invasion.“

” _ **YOU THINK MY REFUSAL TO KILL MAKES ME WEAK?!**_ “ he shouted, unable to resist her taunting any longer.  ” _ **YOU’RE WRONG!  I’M MORE THAN A MERE FOOTSOLDIER, LUFFA.  I’M THE HOPE OF THE WIST, THE SAVIOR OF CIVILIZATION.“**_

He put his hands together and launched a torrent of lighting from his arms.  The bolts of energy surrounded Luffa like a cage, and for a moment, she seemed to be stymied.

Then she made a loud, sharp cry, and the entire energy structure dissipated in a field of yellow flame.

"Yeah, that’s what I’m talking about.  You think your powers solve everything, so you forget about tactics and focus on big picture stuff.  Only, the big picture doesn’t tell you how I got here so quickly.  Be honest, you thought I wouldn’t show up here for another three weeks.”

She was right.  All of his intelligence reports put Luffa on a remote planet in the center of the galaxy.  It was less than half the distance to Extraliga than his fleet had traveled, but only his fleet had known the date of the invasion.  So how did she anticipate his arrival three weeks in advance?

“I got here two days ago,” Luffa said with a grin.  I’ve been picking off your ships as soon as they entered orbit.“

 _ **"YOU’RE LYING!”**_ was all the Shockmaster could say.

“You should know better,” Luffa scolded.  "After all, you’re the guy who gave me the idea.  You used a wormhole to launch the first invasion, so I used my own wormhole to come here and stop you.“

 _ **"HOW DID YOU FIND A WORMHOLE FROM EXTRALIGA TO YOUR OWN WORLD?”**_ the Shockmaster demanded.

“I didn’t,” Luffa said with a shrug.  "I asked the faeries who lived in yours.  They built one for me.  You remember Queen Phenylal, right?  You forced her to let you move your troops through _her_ domain.  Well I liberated them, so they owed me a favor.  I asked if they could construct a new wormhole for me, and they were happy to do it.“

She held up her thumb and forefinger, spacing them less than half an inch apart.  "It’s not a spacious as the one they live in.  No more than eight feet across, but that’s plenty of room for me to make the trip.”

“BUT I SHOULD HAVE SENSED YOUR PRESENCE ON THIS PLANET WHEN YOU ARRIVED!” the Shockmaster protested.

“I’ve been masking my energy,” Luffa said.  "Not just from you, but from anyone else who might leak my plans before I was ready.   I can’t conceal all the power I’m putting out right _now_ , but I can dial down my _ki_ just low enough that I _can_ hide it from you.  Turns out that’s still enough power to take potshots at your fleet, and to run around the planet so your goons can’t tell where it came from.“

She dodged a kick and laughed.  "You people probably thought the Extraligans had some mobile surface-to-orbit cannon!  Only, how could something so powerful move so fast?!”

 _ **“HOW?”**_ the Shockmaster snarled.  " _ **YOU DIDN’T HAVE THAT ABILITY–“**_

"Before? No,” Luffa said.  "I’ve been learning some new tricks, Shockmaster.  I _knew_ you’d come back here, and while you’ve been rebuilding your army and polishing that stupid helmet of yours, I’ve been preparing to stop you.“

 _ **"THEN WHY DID YOU WAIT UNTIL NOW TO CONFRONT ME?”**_ the Shockmaster demanded.   _ **“YOU COULD HAVE DESTROYED MY SHIP BEFORE I REACHED THE SURFACE.”**_

She laughed again.  "You’re a _fool_ ,“ she said.  "What sort of a coward do you take me for?!  There’s no way in _hell_ I’d be satisfied with a hollow victory like that!  Besides, you’d probably survive and fly the rest of the way to the surface on your own somehow.  You seem like the kind of guy who can pull off a stunt like that.

"No.  I want to beat you _one-on-one_.  No distractions, no soldiers running around, no _meddling spouses_ to get in my way.  That’s why the Extraligan army hasn’t attacked you so far.  I _told them_ to steer clear of you, and to focus on fighting your other forces.”

She was almost giddy as she boasted of her plan.  "You probably thought you were overwhelming our defenses, but this whole time we’ve been herding you like _livestock_ , she said with a twisted relish in her voice.  "And now that I’ve _got you_ all to myself, out here in the middle of nowhere…“

_**"YOU’LL LOSE, LUFFA.  YOU CAN’T MAINTAIN THIS POWER LEVEL FOR MUCH LONGER.  I DON’T NEED TO DEFEAT YOU, I JUST HAVE TO OUTLAST YOU.”** _

“Is that so?” Luffa said with a smirk.

Without warning, she screamed, and the aura surrounding her expanded in size.  The Shockmaster backed off, thinking she was preparing to unleash some offensive move, but it never came.  She was simply raising her power… raising it beyond what he had thought possible.

 _ **“NO…”**_ he said, unable to hide his amazement.   _ **“IT’S IMPOSSIBLE…”**_

When Luffa finally stopped, she looked at him and snorted.  "‘Impossible?’,“ she scoffed.  "You know, I hear that word all the time.  I’m going to make you _choke on it_.”

She rushed towards him and grabbed his hands, locking fingers with him.  He tried to shove her away, only to find that he _couldn’t_.  And she was still pushing forward, her teeth clenched as she grunted and huffed with effort.

And then he started to feel himself move _backward_ through the air, in spite of his efforts to resist.

“Well?  How about it, Shockmaster?!” she shouted.  "Is _this_ possible?!  What about _this_?!“

Before he could summon the additional power to stop her, she swing him by his hands around in a circle, and flung him to the ground  like a sack of laundry.  The impact of his body left a crater, and as he lay face up in the dirt, he could see her looming over him, cackling with delight.

*******

* * *

As Luffa battled the Shockmaster over the night sky of Extraliga, her only concern was that maybe things were going a little _too_ well.

She had been looking forward to this moment for months, and she had been a little nervous at first, but now that she had finally gotten the Shockmaster to take her seriously, she was starting to enjoy herself.  Occasionally, she turned her _ki_ senses to the rest of the planet, in search of any sign that things had gone wrong.  So far, she had found none.

She had divided the conflict into three theaters.  On the Orbital Theater, she had softened up the Shockmaster’s fleet prior to attacking him.  Soon, a Federation fleet would be arriving to finish them off.  When that happened, they could land ground troops to assist the Extraligan military on the Surface Theater, and mop up the Shockmaster’s ground troops, though Luffa suspected they might not need the reinforcements after all.

The third theater was simply herself versus the Shockmaster in isolation.  If anything went wrong, she supposed she could try to defeat him quickly, but she didn’t want it to come to that.  He was still a formidable opponent, and while she was much stronger now, she didn’t want to make the mistake of underestimating him again.  Also, the Wistian troops were counting on him to lead them to victory.  By keeping him occupied, Luffa could effectively paralyze the Shockmaster’s army.  They would fight defensively while they waited for him to win, and that attitude would give the initiative to her allies.

Besides, it was more fun this way.  The Shockmaster managed to land a hard right to her jaw while she was sensing the troop movements, but she managed to avoid his follow-up attack.  She had a worthy opponent, and a planet-wide set-piece battle going on at the same time.  It was the nearest thing to heaven that she could imagine.

But the Shockmaster still wasn’t using his maximum strength.  She wanted to push him to his limits before beating him, both to satisfy her pride and to ensure his attention was focused on her instead of his objectives.  Fortunately, she knew just the thing to get his goat.

"Oh, by the way,” she said casually.  "You can forget about the Recollector.“

 _ **"WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT?!**_ ” the Shockmaster growled.

“Oh, plenty,” she said.  "Those rebels on your home planet?  I’ve been in touch with them.    They did some research, and found out why you wanted to take this planet so badly.  They contacted me because they knew I was the only one who could stop you.“

_**"YOU WON’T STOP ME!”** _

“Yeah?  Well, how about you _beat me_ , and you can drag me over to the Recollector and show me just how stupid I was to get in your way!  Or did you come here for something else?”

**_“YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT!  A SAIYAN COULDN’T COMPREHEND THE POWER OF THE RECOLLECTOR–”_ **

She ducked a right hook and slipped around to his back, and kicked him with both feet. Before he could hit the ground, he stopped in midair and turned to face her, only to be bombarded with _ki_ blasts.    He weathered this storm, and started firing back.

Luffa noted that he was ramping up his power.  She had struck a nerve.  

She wanted to strike it again.

“Here’s what I 'comprehend’,” she said.  "Your _worthless_ planet used to be a big deal a long time ago, because they had some power source called the Ur-Ember.  Right?  Only it was destroyed, along with Wist’s moon.  After that, Wist just had to make due with whatever they had left.“

She flew through the crossfire, slipping between the Shockmaster’s _ki_ blasts until she reached his person.  Then she drove her elbow in to his abdomen.  He tried to grab her, but he was too slow, and she flew straight up and kicked the chin of his helmet as she avoided his hands.

"Only _you_ couldn’t accept that, could you?” she continued.  "You wanted to go back to the way things used to be.  Eventually, you found out that Extraliga used to be a Wistian colony.  I guess that explains why there’s a wormhole between them.“

He managed to grab her by the shoulders and pin her arms to her sides, but she simply grinned at him and continued her story.

"The Recollector was some doohickey built by the last Sorcerer King of…of… well, I forget _which_ dynasty it was.  I’m interested in history, but I’m not _that_ interested.  It was supposed to be used for archaeology research.  Instead of digging up relics, you’d turn this thing on and pluck objects out of the distant past, back when they were still new.

"But the Recollector was abandoned on this planet.    Forgotten, along with the colony, until you rediscovered it.  You wanted to go find it and use it to pull the Ur-Ember out of the past, right at the moment Wist’s moon was destroyed.  Then you can take it back home with you and use it to jumpstart your little fantasy, right?  Well, you might have pulled all that off, if I hadn’t come along.”

 _ **“WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?”**_ the Shockmaster asked.  She heard a trace of panic in his voice, and chuckled.

“Who, me?” Luffa asked.  " _I_ haven’t done anything.  The rebels on Wist found out about all this.  I just relayed the message to the Extraligan government.  Once they knew what you were after, it didn’t take them too long to track it down.“

 _ **"YOU LITTLE FOOL!”**_ he shouted.   _ **“YOU THINK THEY CAN HIDE IT FROM ME?!”**_

“Oh, we aren’t _going_ to hide it,” Luffa said.    "We’re going to _destroy it_.“

 _ **"NO!** **”**_ the Shockmaster cried.  He tried to squeeze Luffa in his hands, but she just laughed.

“ _Yes_ ,” she said darkly.  She set her teeth and growled.  Gradually, she pushed back against the Shockmaster’s hands, until finally she force his arms away with a burst of golden light.

Seeing him stumble backward like this was a thing of beauty.  She dove after him and started punching him.  His helmet, his chest, his legs, they were all fair game.

“You don’t even know where the Recollector is, or you would have secured it when you had the chance.  No, you didn’t want to take any risks, so you tried to invade the planet with as little destruction and bloodshed as possible.  You were going to wait for the planet to be completely pacified, and _then_ you’d start searching for it.  Well, it’s too late for that now.”

 _ **“NO!”**_ he screamed.   _ **“YOU THINK THAT YOU’VE OUTMANEUVERED ME, BUT YOU’RE WRONG!  I’LL DEFEAT YOU, AND THEN I’LL–”**_

He tried to shove Luffa away with his _ki_ , but she crossed her arms over her face and blunted the force of it.  Then she delivered a kick to the side of his head, and he went tumbling to the ground.

“You still don’t _get it_ , do you?” Luffa shouted.  "You lost the moment you decided to spare my life, Shockmaster.  I’d be grateful for your mercy, except that you thought I’d slither under a rock and hide like a pathetic animal while you went on with your scheme.“

She dropped down beside him and grabbed him by the collar of his sleeveless jacket.  "For you, this war is just a means to an end.   But me?  Hah!  Before I was a Super Saiyan, I was a mercenary, from a _family_ of mercenaries.  I was bred for war.  I was _steeped in war_.  I killed my first hostile when I was _three years old_.  At seven, I was reading battlefield maps and tactical readouts.  I was teaching aliens how to fight when I was _sixteen_.”

He began throwing punches, and she deflected each one with ease, backing away slowly to invite him to come forward.  "Unlike you, I know how to fight a war.  How to gather intelligence, how to deploy troops, how to manipulate my enemy, and how to utilize my allies.“

She sidestepped him, and drove the point of her elbow into his ribs, staggering him.

"I wasn’t completely sure I could get strong enough to fight you like this,” she admitted.  "And a good friend of mine told me I’m more sensible when I’m around other people.  You have to learn to be careful when you’re as strong as I am, you know?  It got me thinking about how to beat you.  Not just win this fight, but to utterly _crush you_.  That’s why I contacted the fairies to make me a wormhole.  That’s why I stayed in touch with the rebels on Wist.  That’s why I’ve been relying on the Extraligans to keep your goons out of my way.    And I’ve got my _wife_ handling the Recollector.“

 _ **"SHUT UP!”**_ the Shockmaster shouted.

“It keeps me motivated, you know?” Luffa said.  "I always _wanted_ to beat you, but now I’ve _got to_ , because if you somehow make it past me, you’ll have a clear path to _her_.  Thinking about that, well, I think it helped me with my training.“

He began to scream, and Luffa made a satisfied grunt.  She’d been pushing him, trying to break through his cool and calculating demeanor, and now her taunts and jibes had finally paid off.  She could sense his _ki_ rising, and while she was impressed, it wasn’t quite the increase she had expected.   It didn’t bother her too much.  If this was his limit, she could still have a good match with him.  

And if he still had more power to call upon, well, she had plenty of time to wring it out of him.

**NEXT: Recollection**


	63. Chapter 63

_**[10 August 236 Before Age.  Luffasworld]** _

“Ready?” Luffa asked.  

“Ready,” Zatte replied.  

The two women faced each other as they sat cross-leggded on the ground in a remote savanna.   Zatte held up her hands and Luffa took them in her own.  Then Luffa transformed, and a golden aura radiated from her body as her hair and Saiyan tail began to glow bright yellow.  

Zatte loved seeing her this way.  She would have married Luffa regardless of her ability to become a Super Saiyan, but it was in this form that Luffa had rescued Zatte from a dark and terrible fate.  To Zatte, the golden light emanating from her wife was an inspiration, a reminder that anything was possible and that justice would triumph over wickedness.  Luffa was as much a symbol of hope as she was a person.  The Dorluns had a word for such symbols– _xan’nil-Dor_ –and a religious obligation to support them.  It was unorthodox for Zatte to declare Luffa _xan’nil-Dor_ unilaterally– it was supposed to be a decision left to a group of Dorlun elders– but Zatte never claimed to be orthodox.  Neither did Luffa, and that was probably why they got along as well as they did.  

Luffa had come to this world to train for a rematch against the Shockmaster, who had defeated her in battle.  Normally, the training was about getting stronger, but Luffa wanted an edge, and so the two of them had begun a separate training routine of their own.  

The exercise was simple.  Luffa’s Super Saiyan form generated an over abundance of life energy, known as _ki_.  Zatte had a power to manipulate various forms energy, including _ki_.  The object was for Zatte to warp Luffa’s aura and conceal it.  Normally, Zatte only ever did this with her own _ki_ to make herself undetectable to enemies who might sense her presence.  Masking _Luffa’s_ full power was a very different challenge.  Even as she began, Zatte’s face screwed up with exertion, and beads of sweat began to gather on her forehead.  

“Yeah, you’re doing great!” Luffa shouted over the roar of her own aura.  "Keep it up!“

Zatte kept her eye closed as she worked, but she could sense what Luffa was talking about.  The aura normally surrounded Luffa like the flame of a candle, but Zatte had forced it backward like a gust of wind. She gripped Luffa’s hands more tightly as she redoubled her efforts.   She doubted she would ever be able to cover this much power, but she had made a lot of progress since they had started these sessions, and she didn’t want to quit without gaining at least a little ground.

"Zattie, look.”

“Just a little more…” Zatte grunted.  "I want to go a little further.“

"Fine, but _look_.”

“Dammit, Luffa, I need to concentrate–!”

“Will you _open your eye_ already?” Luffa snarled.

Zatte did, and immediately realized why Luffa had insisted.  As a Super Saiyan, Luffa’s irises burned a brilliant green color.  Now, thanks to Zatte’s _ki_ manipulation, she had managed to change Luffa’s left eye back to its original brown.  The eyebrow above it had also shifted back to its normal color, along with half of her right eyebrow, and some of the hair at the front of her scalp.  

It was truly surreal to see. At the fringes of this effect, the yellow seemed to push back, struggling to reclaim the territory where Zatte had driven it away.  She couldn’t hold it at bay forever, but it was fascinating to try.  In the midst of this, Luffa smiled proudly.  

Soon after, Zatte had to yield, and Luffa powered down.  The Saiyan was still beaming with pride.  

“You’re really something else, Zattie,” Luffa said.  "I had no idea you could get this far.“

Zatte was exhausted from the effort.  All she could do was catch her breath and drink from a canteen.  Luffa, on the other hand was already doing stretches, to prepare for several more hours of training alone.  

"Thank you,” Zatte said.  "But I don’t think I could ever hide a _ki_ as big as your full power.  Not completely.  You’re not exactly built for stealth.“

"Damn straight,” Luffa said.  "But that’s not the point.  If you can hide a power like mine even partially, then it means you could get a lot stronger yourself and still hide your own _ki_ completely.  Tactically, that’s huge.“

"I still don’t see how _you_ get anything from this,” Zatte said.  "My power to manipulate energy is unique.  Even other Dorluns don’t have it.  I can demonstrate it to you, but it’s not a technique I can teach.“

"No, but I can still learn from it,” Luffa said between forward lunges.  "I’ll probably never be able to make things invisible like you can, or alter temperatures, but the stuff you do with _ki_ isn’t so far from what I do.  If you can conceal even part of my energy from someone like the Shockmaster, then maybe I can figure out how to do it myself.  Even if I have to cut back on my power to stay hidden, it could come in handy.“

"You plan to ambush him?” Zatte asked.  "Doesn’t sound like your style.“

"Oh, he’ll see me coming,” Luffa boasted.  "But I want to lull him into a false sense of security.  Make him think I’m not even on the planet.  Then I show up and challenge him when he least expects it.“

"So _that’s_ why you asked Queen Phenylal create that wormhole between here and Extraliga,” Zatte said.  "The Shockmaster would expect you to arrive by starship.“  

"Exactly, and I’ve got a few more tricks to throw at him too,” Luffa said. “For instance…”

Zatte listened to her go on about her schemes and strategies with loving admiration.  Luffa was so confident, not just in her own abilities, but in those of everyone around her.  It had been difficult to see her lose to the Shockmaster before, but now Zatte could see the true greatness of Luffa was in her resilience.

She was deeply honored to help in any way she could.  Luffa had hinted at a mission she had in mind for Zatte, but the details still had to be sorted out.  It was hard to contain her anticipation.  She wanted to fight for Luffa, to walk through fire for her, to prove to herself and to the rest of the universe just how devoted she was to the cause.  

At times, Zatte caught herself thinking this way and felt self-conscious about it.  She always considered herself to be a very practical and down-to-earth woman.  She had been raised to believe fanaticism was a path to ruin.  But it also stoked her passions and made her feel more alive.  Was it so wrong to feel that way?  To want to burn in a fire of inspiration?   What good was survival without something to live for?

“–then after I kick his ass, I thought you and I should go back to that pub we went to.  Get some ribs to celebrate, and _then_ … wait, I’m getting a call.”

Luffa reached into one of the pockets of her yellow pants and withdrew a handheld communicator.  It was programmed to route transmissions from Luffa’s ship while she was away.   “It’s from Wist.  You remember Ensign Liberty, right?” Luffa asked.

“The lady with the stupid costume, right?” Zatte asked.  

“Right,” Luffa said.  "She formed an underground resistance on Shocky’s home planet.  I asked her to call me if she found anything useful.  Guess she’s got a tip.“

"When are _you_ gonna start wearing a red-white-and-blue leotard into battle?” Zatte asked with a smirk.  

Luffa frowned.  “It was a ‘stupid costume’ a second ago,” she said.  

“Yeah,” Zatte said, “but I think you’d fill it out better.”

Luffa blushed and her eyes went wide with something like fright.  She opened the comm line, and carefully held her free hand over the receiver, as though worried Zatte might say something else embarassing while she was talking.  

Zatte smiled mischievously while she waited for them to finish.  Luffa glared at her, then suddenly she bore a very grim expression.  

“He’d really go that far?   _Bastard_ …” was all Luffa said in response.  She listened for a minute longer, and then glanced at Zatte.  

“Ensign, I’m going to put my wife on the line,” Luffa said.  "You met her in Queen Phenylal’s palace.  Yeah, the blue lady with the eyepatch.  We just got married.  Yeah, yeah… thanks, but right now I need you to tell her what you just told me.“

She handed the communicator to Zatte and silently mouthed the words "I’ll need your help on this.”

Zatte took the communicator without a moment’s hesitation.

*******

* * *

**_[21 August 236 Before Age.  Luffasworld]_ **

It wasn’t easy to use telepathy over interstellar distances.  Some life forms might have had the power, but Dorluns weren’t one of them, and neither were the beings she needed to contact.  Fortunately, they had allies who could bridge the gap.  

“You’re letting them use your _blood_?” Keda asked.  They had been discussing her work over breakfast, and the details were beginning to worry the young girl.  

“Well when you put it that way, it sounds kind of creepy,” Zatte admitted.  "But you’ve worked with the Gwarthosians before.  Luffa saved their planet a while back.  You trust them, right?“

"I did.  That was before they started making potions out of your blood,” Keda muttered.  

“Scotch Woodcock’s species has advanced telepathic abilities, but not in the kind of range we need.  Tobiko’s magic will boost that, but it won’t be enough unless we do something on our end.  That’s where the Gwarthosians and their alchemy comes in.  If I drink this stuff they’re brewing, It’ll tune me in to Woodcock’s psychic signal no matter where I am.”

“You’re going to _drink_ it?” Keda asked skeptically.  She put her hand to her own throat, as though contemplating that action.

“No, I’m going to soak my feet in it.   _Of course_ I’m going to drink it.  That’s how potions work, kid,” Zatte said.  "It’ll be perfectly safe.  That’s why they need samples of my blood and hair, so they can make a batch that’s compatible with Dorlun biochemistry.  You could probably use it too, if you wanted.“

Keda’s face screwed up with disgust.  "But why go to all this trouble?” she asked.  

Zatte speared a piece of meat with her fork and smeared it across her plate to cover it in what was left of the sauce.  "Woodcock and the other rebels on Wist found an archive that told them about the Shockmaster’s plan to use the Recollector, but they couldn’t get a lot of information on the Recollector itself.  Ideally, we need a technical manual to show us how to knock this thing out, but so far they haven’t found one.   Once the Shockmaster’s forces leave Wist to head for Extraliga, that’ll make it easier for them to search the planet for artifacts, but we’ll only have six weeks to work with, and they may still not turn up anything.  So I’m going to Extraliga to search there.”

“You’re _leaving_?!” Keda asked.  “But you just got married–!”

“That’s where the Recollector is,” Zatte said.    “Maybe the people who left it there left behind some documentation too.  Either way, we’ll be cutting it close, and we all agreed that it would be helpful to stay in contact, and this will be more secure than subspace radio.“

"Okay, but that’s not what I meant,” Keda said.  "Why are you getting involved with this at all?“

The question surprised Zatte, but only because she had taken it for granted.  "The Recollector is dangerous, Keda.  It plucks things from the distant past and brings them to the present.  You could cause all sorts of trouble with a power like that.  And if the Shockmaster gets his way, he’ll bring something called the Ur-Ember to Extraliga.  All I know about that is that it’s a powerful mystic talisman, but its energies are dangerous at a certain range.  If he brings it to the surface of Extraliga, it could kill almost everyone on the planet.”

“But he _won’t_ ,” Keda objected.  "Not if Luffa stops him first.  That’s what she’s been training for all this time, right?“

"A lot can happen in a fight,” Zatte said.  "I’m sure Luffa can win, but we shouldn’t pin everything on her.  Besides, she wants to use this against him.   If I can deny the Shockmaster’s objective ahead of time, it’ll be a huge blow to his morale, and Luffa can take advantage of that.“

"Why can’t the Extraligans deal with it themselves?” Keda asked.  "Or just evacuate the planet?“

"Keda, it’s their _home_ ,” Zatte said.  "Did we abandon our colony when the Tikosi started threatening _us_?  No, we took a stand to protect ourselves.“

"And we _lost_!” Keda shouted.  "You and Luffa tried to fight back, and it didn’t do any good!  Everyone died but the three of us, and we had to leave anyway!  You lost your _eye_ in that battle, and she was _captured_!  Captured and… And…!“

Keda got very quiet and looked down at her plate.  "She let me read her thoughts back then, so I could help save her from the Tikosi,” she finally said.  "They did terrible things to her, and it _never would have happened_ if she hadn’t tried to fight for _us_.  I know she wanted to, and I’m grateful, but she _never_ should have done it.  And I’m afraid you’re going to make the same mistake for her.“

"She’s my wife, Keda,” Zatte said.  "I know you don’t believe she’s a _xan-nil'Dor_ , but even if she’s not I still have an obligation to–“

"What happens to her if you get killed out there?” Keda asked.  "What do you think that’ll do to her?“

"I won’t get k–”

“You make her _happy_ ,” Keda said.  "I mean, she’s always moody, but she’s gotten a lot easier to get along with ever since you showed up.  If something happened to _you_ … I don’t know what she might do.“

"What do you want me to do, Keda?  Sit this one out and save my own skin?  We’ve had this argument before.”

“I know,” Keda said.  "And I know you’re going to go no matter what.  But like you said, you’ve got an obligation to your wife.  She may need you for this battle, but she’ll need you when it’s over too.  Don’t lose sight of that.“

Zatte didn’t know what to say after that.  It would have been easy to dismiss Keda’s concerns as the product of cowardice or youthful inexperience, but Zatte knew better.  The girl was very intelligent for her age, and she had braved many dangers while working with Luffa.   Her objections were valid, but Zatte was committed.  There was really nothing else to be said.

And so they finished their meal in silence.

*******

* * *

_**[19 October 236 Before Age.  Extraliga]** _

Zatte had experienced a sort of telepathic union before, through Luffa’s mental abilities, but the link to her allies on Wist was a very different experience.  As she sat alone in a hotel room on Extraliga, fully aware of her surroundings, she was also standing in a roadside bar, conferring with three other people.

The bar wasn’t real, of course, but a construct born of Scotch Woodcock’s memories and imagination.  It felt real, though, and while she couldn’t quite smell the smoke from Woodcock’s imaginary cigar, the darts she threw at a board on the wall had weight and texture.  On the other hand, her throws were a little too good to be true.  Her aim had never been quite the same after she lost her right eye, but while she was in the roadhouse she couldn’t miss.

"We gonna talk or play, babe?” Woodcock asked testily.

“So talk,” Zatte said.  "If you didn’t want me to use the darts, you’d put ’em away.“

"Bloody things are for ambience,” he grumbled.  "You _can’t_ miss, love.  No point playin’, ’less yer daft or somethin’.“

"So I’m daft.  The novelty hasn’t worn off yet,” Zatte said.  "Besides, we haven’t had much luck so far.  At least when I’m here I can pretend to get _something_ right.“

Nearby, M’ranga–codenamed Ensign Liberty– was performing a reverse planche handstand on the toprail of a chair she had taken from one of the tables.  This would have been impressive enough on its own, but as she arched her back to bring her legs directly over her head, she carefully began to tip the chair backward, making the balancing act even more precarious. Every so often, she would shift her position, occasionally bending one of her knees or crossing her ankles as she adjusted her center of balance.

"She’s right, Scotch,” M'ranga said.  "I can’t really fall down in this place either, but it still makes good practice for when I do these kinds of stunts in real life.  We can use all the confidence we can get these days.“

"Be that as it may, ladies, perhaps we shouldn’t take Mr. Woodcock’s psychic contributions for granted.”  The fourth person in their group, Tobiko, was sitting in a lotus position on a billiards table.  A pair of imaginary bar patrons with pool cues stared at him disapprovingly, but took no other action until Tobiko finally got down from the table.  

In the real world, the ancient wizard resembled an amphibian swamp monster, but in the roadhouse he manifested as his true self: a handsome, golden-skinned man in flowing white robes, the way he had looked before he had been cursed and banished from society.  Even as he approached the others, he still kept his distance, clasping his hands together and looking at nothing in particular.  Zatte could never tell if he was contemplating some mystic riddle or simply uneasy about being among so many people.

Woodcock snorted and shook his head.  "I can keep this up all day.  Just don’t see the point in horsin’ around, is all.“

Zatte had developed a rapport with them over the past few weeks.  They had been fighting together for months, and she was pleased that they had accepted her into their close-knit group.  Still, they didn’t have much else to show for their collaboration.  

"Have you had any more luck on your end?” Tobiko asked her.  

“Not much,” Zatte said.  "Oh, we _found_ the Recollector all right.  It was right where you guys thought it would be, based on the records you dug up on Planet Wist.   But we can’t _do_ anything with it.  They’ve got a team of Extraligan scientists studying the thing, but they can’t even touch it, let alone turn it on.“

"I was afraid of that,” Tobiko said.  "My ancestors knew the dangers of a device like the Recollector, so they included precautions to prevent any non-Wistian from ever being able to use it.  I imagine you encountered similar issues with the  Undeletor.“

"Yeah, but it didn’t cause me any problems,” Zatte said.  "With the Undeletor, all I had to do was turn it _off_.  I didn’t even need to do anything to the machine itself.  I just sabotaged the modern computers the Wistians were using to operate it.  You’re right, though, once it was deactivated, the Extraligans couldn’t turn it back on again.“

She tossed another dart and groaned.  "But at least we could _touch_ the stupid thing.  The Recollector’s like a hologram or something.  It seems solid, right until you try to do anything to it, and then your hand passes right through.  So we can’t even hide it or destroy it.”

“Interesting,” M'ranga said.   “We saw the Shockmaster do something similar once.  He went into a deep meditation, and became intangible.  Tobiko tried to cast spells on him, but he snapped out of it and attacked us first.”

“That must be why he didn’t bother coming to Extraliga in person during the first invasion,” Zatte said.  "He knew his prize would be safe until he was ready for it.  Better to let his foot-soldiers secure the planet to prevent anyone from getting in his way.  But he never ordered troops to secure the Recollector’s position, which tells me that he never knew its exact location.“

"I’m almost positive he couldn’t know,” M'ranga added.  "Tobiko and I had to go through at least a dozen archive crystals to figure it out ourselves.   The Shockmaster knows the Recollector is on the planet, but he doesn’t know exactly _where_.“

"I still ain’t keen on you rummagin’ through all them crystals, love,” Woodcock said.  "Tobiko’s spell might fool 'em into giving you access, even though yer an alien, but it takes a toll on ya every time.“

She did a flip to dismount from the chair and gestured at her leotard.  When Zatte had met her in person, the costume was red, white, and blue.  In the roadhouse, she had looked the same.  But over the course of their telepathic correspondence, the color scheme had gradually changed to silver and black, resembling the national colors of Ancient Wist.  

"If you’re talking about my psychic wardrobe,” she said, “I’ve noticed.  Every time I make a query for information in the archives, I get flooded with all this other information about Wist’s history and culture that I never asked for.  By now I probably know more about Ancient Wist than I do about my home planet.  But I’ve always believed that there’s nothing to fear from knowledge, and if it helps save even one life on Extraliga, it’ll be worth the trouble.”

“Oh yeah,” Zatte said.  "I forgot that those archive crystals only respond to Wistians too.  Why can’t Tobiko use them?“

"Because of the curse of exile that was placed upon me,” Tobiko said.  "My life force was altered along with my outward appearance, to make me a monster in both body and soul.  If I were with you on Extraliga now, the Recollector would be as intangible to me as it would to you or any other alien.“

"You’re not a monster, Tobiko,” M'ranga insisted.  

“Life force…” Zatte said aloud.   “Then the spell you use on M'ranga works on the same principle as the curse?  You sort of turn _her_ into one of your people long enough to fool these gemstones, right?”

“Broadly speaking, yes,” Tobiko said.  "Though the effect is temporary, and her physical appearance is unaffected.“

"Then maybe I can do something similar here,” Zatte said.  "I have the power to conceal my own _ki_.  If I could _disguise_ it… but I’d need a Wistian to use as a model, and there aren’t any here.  Most of the occupation army I fought were projections created by the Undeletor, and the flesh-and-blood captives were taken to a Federation prison on another planet.“

"Give it a little time, babe,” Woodcock said darkly.  "Extraliga’s sky’ll be crawlin’ with them folk before you know it.“

"By then it’ll be too late,” M'ranga added.  "If you try to capture one and take him back to the Recollector, you risk giving away its position to his comrades.“

"Yeah,” Zatte said.  "But I wouldn’t have to get that close to make this work.  If my 'volunteer’ was someone strong enough, I could sense their _ki_ at a distance.“

"You won’t find anyone like that in the Wistian army,” Tobiko said.  "Only the Shockmaster himself, and perhaps his adjutant, Tigon.  And they would have little cause to use their power until–“

"Until Luffa attacks them,” Zatte finished.   A strange smirk appeared on her face as she said this.  

“Cutting things pretty close, aren’t ya?” Woodcock asked.

“And we still don’t know if it will work,” Tobiko said.  "It might be preferable if I were to join you on Extraliga, using the faeries’ wormhole.  My spells could–“

"That would kill you, Tobiko,” M'ranga objected.  "You can’t survive that long away from the marshes of this planet!“

"And the fae signed a pact with the Federation,” Zatte added.  "Both sides agreed to seal the wormhole for the foreseeable future.  Luffa might be able to pull some strings on that, but I agree with the ensign here.  It’s not worth the risk.“

"Consider what you are saying, Zatte,” Tobiko pleaded.  "The Wistian fleet will reach you in less than a month.  You have that long to develop your idea into a plan, which you will only be able to execute after the Shockmaster arrives.  We will help you in any way we can, but ultimately you are placing the burden squarely upon yourself.  If you fail, or if Luffa falls in battle, you will likely be the first to die.  Are you certain this is how you want to proceed?“

"Ya don’t gotta frighten the bird, Tobiko,” Woodcock said.  

“I’m simply being realistic, Scotch,” Tobiko replied.  "If my assessment is overly grim, then so be it.“

Zatte nodded at Tobiko and took the stool next to Woodcock.  She laid her darts on the bar and flagged down the imaginary tapster for a drink.  She wasn’t sure what the drinks were supposed to be, but they weren’t real, so it didn’t matter much.

She remembered what Keda had said to her before, and she took those words seriously.  But as she considered the situation, and decided there were no practical alternatives, her thoughts kept turning back to Luffa, and the proud smile on her face when they had trained together on Luffasworld.  

"Well, Zatte?” Tobiko pressed.  "Are you sure this is what you want to do?“

Zatte finished her drink in one swallow and slammed the empty glass back onto the bar. 

"Hell yeah,” she said.  

_**NEXT: The Shockmaster’s Five Moves of Doom.** _


	64. Chapter 64

**_[24 November 236 Before Age.  Extraliga.]_ **

  
On a remote plain of an alien world, the Shockmaster struggled to contain his frustration.   His plan to restore Ancient Wist to its former glory had all come down to an invasion of the planet Extraliga.  Here, he would find an ancient device known as the Recollector, which he could use to retrieve a power source that had been lost to time.  It should have been easy!  He had cleared every obstacle, smashed through every barrier!  The path forward was supposed to be clear!  
  
But this _wretched Saiyan woman_ refused to get out of his way!  
  
Luffa fancied herself a champion of the Extraligans and their allies.  She had opposed him once before, but he had defeated her with ease and left her to her fate.  Apparently her fate had been to challenge him again, only this time she was much more formidable than before.  It was maddening!  He had dreamed of this day for thousands of years.  She hadn’t even heard of Wist until a few months ago!  Yet she still barred his path.   And for what?!  Revenge?  She didn’t even care about his scheme to restore Wist to its former glory.  She just wanted to defeat him for the sport of it!  
  
No, it was more than that.   Somehow she had learned of the Recollector, and she claimed that saboteurs had already found it.  She wasn’t just trying to overpower him in single combat.  She was determined to deny his strategic objectives as well, and this was what sent a chill down his spine.    
  
It troubled him, because even if he defeated her now, he knew that she would simply come back and challenge him all over again.  He could rebuild Wist a thousand times grander than it had ever been, and this woman would burn that paradise to the ground, just to continue their one-sided rivalry.  Wist might be reborn, but it would never know peace, all because this Saiyan was a _sore loser_.  And what could he do?  He could defeat her a thousand times, but she would only need to succeed once.  She didn’t even have to defeat _him_ at all.  She could simply destroy all that he had worked for.  
  
He had to finish this once and for all.  For the sake of Wist, there could be no other outcome.  As he stared into her savage, pitiless eyes, he knew there would be no other way.     
  
“What’s wrong?” Luffa asked.  “You don’t seem to be paying attention.  Of course, it’s hard to tell with that stupid helmet you’ve got on.”  
  
He rushed toward her and she stood her ground.  Before he could take three steps forward, something grabbed him from behind and exploded.  
  
When the explosion subsided, he looked around and saw ki constructs floating in the air.  Each was a ghostly imitation of Luffa, and they all snickered and catcalled at him as they surrounded him.  
  
“My apologies,” said the real Luffa.  “You weren’t distracted at all.  You clearly _meant_ to do that.  I guess you let me make all these exploding ghosts to try and get me to wear myself out.”  
  
“Oh _h_ hh n _o_ o _oo_ oo!” one of the ghosts wailed.  
  
“W-w-wuh-what’ll we _do_?!” cried another.  
  
A third simply giggled without any attempt at sarcasm.  
  
“Well, you’ve seen through my ghost attack,” Luffa said with a shrug.  “Guess I’ll go back to what worked.”  
  
The Shockmaster crossed his arms to defend himself from the ghosts, but  their attack never came.  Instead, the real Luffa charged in, vanished from sight, then reappeared on his left before he could turn to meet her.  She kicked the back of his knee, then grabbed him by his boot and swung him around in a circle.  
  
He managed to kick free of her with his right leg, but this sent him careening into a crowd of _ki_ ghosts, who gleefully converged to meet him.  The resulting explosion tossed him into the air.  
  
Luffa was there to meet him.  
  
“You’re still holding back!” Luffa screamed.  “Are you afraid?  Is that it?!  _You should be_.  I’m going to destroy you and everything you’ve ever worked for!  As long as I draw breath, you’ll never be safe!”  
  
“ _ **I WON’T KILL, LUFFA!**_ ” he shouted.    
   
“Oh, yes, I know all about your ‘superior’ Wistian morals.  You won’t kill _me_.  But the Extraligans are fair game, is that it?”  
  
This surprised him.  Did she know?  And if she _did_ , then that meant–!  
  
Another ghost exploded against his back.  This one hurt more than the others.  
  
“You’re going to bring the Ur-Ember back, right?” Luffa said as she started bombarding him with ki blasts.  “Or at least you _would have_ if _I_ hadn’t shown up.  The Ur-Ember’s radiation would kill most of the life on this planet, wouldn’t it?  _Wouldn’t it_!?”  
  
He managed to get up to one knee, only for her to kick him in the chin.  
  
“You make me _sick_ ,” she seethed.  “A no-kill rule?  Okay that’s dumb, but I can respect the confidence behind it.  But that’s not what you _do_ , is it?  I saw through your nonsense the last time we fought.  You beat me to a pulp, but you wouldn’t kill me.  No, you let my husband try to finish me off!  You just didn’t want to dirty your hands with my blood!”  
  
She started punching at his helmet as she shouted.  “How many people have your soldiers killed, huh?  That’s what warriors are _supposed to do_ , but you sit back and pretend that’s not on _your_ conscience, because you’re not the one pulling the trigger!”  
  
He struck back, driving his knuckles into her jaw.  “ ** _SHUT UP!_** ” he bellowed.  But this only silenced her for a moment.  
  
“Oh, you told your boys to be careful the last time you invaded,” Luffa went on.  “No casualties at all.  Nice and clean.  You just rounded up all the off-worlders and put them in a prison camp.    But you were still gonna bring the Ur-Ember to this planet and deep fry the Extraligans in their own homes!”  
  
“ _ **YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND ANYTHING!**_ ” the Shockmaster protested.  He hit her again, but this didn’t slow her down for long.  
  
“I _understand_ the Extraligans!” Luffa shouted.  “I promised them my protection, fought alongside their warriors in battle!    What do _you_ know about them?”  
  
“ _ **SHUT!  UP!**_ "  the Shockmaster screamed as he hit her again.  This time she staggered back, and he pressed the advantage, punching her again and again.  
  
How dare she preach morality to _him_ , the champion of the greatest culture in the entire universe!  Over one hundred thousand years of enlightenment rested on _his_ shoulders.  What was _she_ against all that?   Nothing more than a bloodthirsty ape with no right to judge anyone!  
  
Then suddenly his next strike was blocked.  Luffa shrieked, and he found himself knocked back by a wave of concussive force.  She lolled her head from side to side and licked a trickle of blood from her lip.  
  
"You’re gonna have to hit me a lot harder than _that_ if you want to shut _me_ up,” she said.  
  
With that, she struck him in the gut with the point of her elbow, knocking the wind out of him.  He toppled over, but before could hit the ground, she caught hold of his chest and tipped him upright.  
  
“I had to buy some clothes when I showed up to fight off your first invasion force,” Luffa said.  “Found a tailor in a small town on the other side of this planet, and his aunt runs a diner.  I paid in Wistian scrip and any supplies I found from their camps, because _I could_.  Your projected soldiers couldn’t stop me from looting them, but that’s beside the point.”  
  
He tried to move away from her and regroup, but she slammed the butt of her palm against the side of his neck, then wrestled him face down to the ground.  Grabbing hold of his left arm, she wrenched it behind him and stood on his back.  
  
“Guy sitting in the diner was married to an alien.  Your _goons_ took her prisoner, not that you cared to tell _him_ that.  Old couple.   They probably won’t live to see the next decade.  They’d go to that diner every day and she’d watch him read the paper while she’d play some handheld game.  Her name’s Torsh, and she’s from the Hythoon sector originally.  She’s got family back there, and it just so happens I saved ’em from a Zoon warlord a while back.”  
  
He tried to break her hold, but she had it locked tight.  His shoulder blade was on fire, and he could feel the bones scraping against one another.  He had learned long ago not to judge warriors by their size, but it was still astonishing that such a small woman could be this strong.  And in spite of the torture she was inflicting upon him, she  continued to talk like she was making conversation about the weather.  
  
“Lady that runs the diner asked me to help, because the old man didn’t want to make too much fuss,” she said.  “Can you believe that?  He was so worried about his planet that he didn’t want to burden me with his missing wife.”  
  
She twisted his wrist slightly, adding pressure to the hold.  “I read his mind so I’d be able to recognize her when I found her.  And I did find her, eventually.  She was fine, not that _you_ or that _slime_ Argon gave a damn.    See, I _had_ to find her.  You want to know why?”  
  
He had been trying not to scream from the pain.   He failed.  
  
"When I read the old man’s mind, I didn’t just get a description of his wife.  I got all these other things too.  How much he loved her.  What her favorite foods are.  How embarrassed he was asking me to help him.   How worried he was about his home planet.  These Extraligans, they have brave warriors, but they’re not a warrior race like mine.  Still, they have their pride.  They have their passions.  They know what it means to lose someone.  What have _you_ ever lost, Shocky?  I mean, besides the circulation in your left arm?”  
  
 _ **“I’LL…!  YOU…!”**_  
  
“You’d kill an old woman like Torsh and not even notice,” Luffa growled.  “You’d kill plenty of people, but not me!  Not a _warrior_ who can fight back.  Oh no!  Against _me_ , you have a _code_.  Hah!  The 'Champion of Wist’.  You’re a pile of _garbage_ , and so is Wist if they ever looked up to a piece of trash like you.”  
  
 _ **“SHUT UP!”**_ the Shockmaster shouted.  _**“DON’T YOU DARE SPEAK TO ME OF THE GLORY OF WIST!”**_  
  
“What glory?” Luffa scoffed.  “All that’s left of your homeland is a layer of dust and a few worthless relics.  Their 'great hero’ is lying face down in the mud _where he belongs_!”  
  
She started to cackle again, and for the Shockmaster, this raucous laughter was the last straw.  As he gathered his power, he could feel it building at the center of his forehead.  He didn’t move.  There was no need, and this technique required intense focus to execute.  Besides, she would haul him to his feet sooner or later anyway, if only to mock him or give some pointless speech about honor.  
  
Indeed, just as he had finished his preparations, Luffa picked him up by the waist of his trousers and flung him over.  He rose to his feet slowly, feigning weakness.  If she had any idea what he was planning, she didn’t show it.  She just approached him, glaring at him like a predator in the wild.  
  
“Nothing to say?” Luffa asked.  “You’re just going to let me insult your culture and not do anything about it?  Where’s your pride?  I would have thought–!”  
  
Then she fell silent, and stopped in her tracks.  A moment later, she started to convulse, though she remained on her feet.  Her eyes went wide, as though glimpsing at some unseen horror.  
  
The Shockmaster walked up to her and examined his foe.  Satisfied with what he saw, he crossed his arms and nodded.  
  
 _ **“I WON’T KILL, LUFFA,**_ ” he said.  _ **“BUT I HAVE OTHER MEANS TO DEFEAT YOU, AND THERE ARE FATES WORSE THAN DEATH.”  
  
**_ She grunted and gasped, and tears began to stream down her eyes.  
  
He held up his massive right hand, palm outward, and extended his fingers. _**“THERE ARE FIVE MOVES OF DOOM.  FIVE TECHNIQUES SO POWERFUL THAT I DARE NOT UNLEASH THEM EXCEPT AGAINST THE MOST DANGEROUS OF FOES.  THE MYSTICS WHO GAVE ME MY POWERS REFUSED TO ALLOW ME TO KILL IN THEIR NAME, BUT THEY WERE WISE ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT I MIGHT BE FORCED TO USE EXTREME MEASURES.  AND SO THEY TAUGHT ME… TAUGHT ME THE FIVE MOVES OF DOOM.  THIS IS THE FOURTH.”**_  
  
She bared her teeth and her hands began to tremble violently, but she didn’t show any awareness of the Shockmaster or her surroundings.  
  
 _ **“NORMALLY I WOULD USE THE FIRST THREE BEFORE EVEN CONSIDERING THIS,”**_ he explained, though he knew she could not possibly hear him now.  _**“I DON’T LIKE TO USE THE PSI-SHOCK TECHNIQUE.  IT TURNS THE VICTIM’S OWN MIND AGAINST ITSELF.  RIGHT NOW, YOU’RE TRAPPED IN A NIGHTMARE OF YOUR OWN IMAGINING, AND YOU CAN NEVER ESCAPE.”**_  
  
Her Super Saiyan aura hadn’t stopped flashing, but this didn’t surprise him.  Unconsciously, she was trying to defend herself from whatever she was seeing in her head, like a dog kicking its legs while it dreamed of running.  
  
 _ **“EVENTUALLY YOU’LL EXHAUST YOURSELF, BUT THE EFFECT WILL REMAIN.   IF YOU’RE LUCKY, SOMEONE WILL COME ALONG AND PUT YOU OUT OF YOUR MISERY BEFORE I CAN HAVE YOU PUT ON LIFE SUPPORT.”  
**_  
Flecks of spittle gathered on the corners of her mouth, and her green eyes still stared at nothing, wide and unblinking.  
  
 _ **“THIS IS MY ULTIMATE SANCTION, LUFFA.  YOU WANTED ME TO USE IT, THOUGH YOU DIDN’T REALIZE WHAT IT WAS.  I ONLY SPARED YOU BEFORE, OUT OF MERCY, BUT YOU SQUANDERED THAT WHEN YOU SPOKE ILL OF WIST.  I WON’T FORGIVE THAT.”**_  
  
Tears continued to stream down her cheeks, and she started to hyperventilate.  The Shockmaster shook his head with disgust.  Now that the battle was over, he couldn’t help but feel pity for this despicable creature, twisted by her own lust for battle.  But he had wasted more than enough time on Luffa already.   He needed to contact his generals and find the Recollector before the enemy managed to–  
  
He had turned and taken just four steps away, when he heard a low, angry snarl behind him.  When he looked back at Luffa he found her still gawking into the distance, but her lips had curled into something like…. a smile.    
  
And then she began to _laugh_ all over again.    
  
“What was _that_ supposed to be?” she asked as her eyes focused on him.    
  
“ _ **NO..** **.**_ ” the Shockmaster gasped.  _ **“IT CAN’T BE…”**_  
  
“You thought _that_ was going to stop _me_?” Luffa said in a raw, ugly voice.  “Idiot!"    
  
Before he could react, she had blasted him in the chest with a wave of golden _ki_ energy.  His body went flying, and then she was suddenly on top of him, slamming her feet into his head and sending him face-first  into the ground.  As he rolled over to get up, she kicked him in the ribs, and sent him through the air again.    
  
” _I was back on the Tikosi Hiveworld_ ,“ she screeched.  "They were pumping Black Water Mist into my _veins_ , and your crony Argon was blathering on about taking _skin samples_.  Everyone I cared about was _dead_ , but I couldn’t tell if I had killed them myself, or if they died because I was too _weak_ to protect them.”  
  
She was focusing on a single part of his body now.  Striking his left collarbone over and over again like a jackhammer.  The Shockmaster’s _ki_ could protect him from serious injury, but he found he couldn’t blunt the impacts completely.  The pain was excruciating.  
  
“ _That_ was how I figured out it wasn’t real,” Luffa raved.  “I’ve got so many different nightmares that they start to contradict one another.  So what was _supposed_ to happen?   Was I supposed to be so overcome with terror that I’d withdraw into my own mind?  Claw my own eyes out?  Interesting technique!  Oh yeah, really… _really_!  _Interesting_!”   
  
Without warning, she targeted the Shockmaster’s side instead.  He had been so focused on protecting his collarbone that he wasn’t able to defend in time, and he felt one of his ribs break from the blow.    
  
“The problem is that it _doesn’t work_ on someone like me, Shocky!” Luffa screamed.  “All my worst fears are things that _already happened_ to me in real life!  And _none of it_ stopped me.  It just _pissed me off_.”  
  
 _ **“ENOUGH!**_ ” the Shockmaster cried.   He summoned enough power to force Luffa away from him, though only for a moment.  He rose to his feet and faced her.  **_“I’VE HAD ENOUGH!”_**  
  
Luffa turned her head and spat on the ground.    
  
“ _Not until you lie dead at my feet_ ,” she said.    
  
*******

* * *

  
  
As the fight wore on, the Shockmaster began to feel the first cracks in his resolve.    He had used one of the five most unspeakable techniques in his arsenal, and it had only emboldened her.    She actually wanted to see _more_.   
  
“What’s the fifth move?” Luffa asked.  “Show me!”  
  
The Shockmaster had managed to hold out this long against her, but he could tell that he was losing ground.  He had assumed that Luffa could never maintain this level of power for an extended period of time, but she showed no signs of slowing down.  Rather, she seemed to be getting even more aggressive and confident as they fought.  While he had vast reserves of power to draw upon, he couldn’t increase his strength any more than he already had.  He could fight on like this for hours, or even days if necessary, but that wouldn’t do him any good against an opponent strong enough to overpower him like this.    
  
Every breath he took reminded him of his broken rib.  Now she was using that against him, targeting the injury to put him on the defensive, or feinting an attack on his torso to score hits on the rest of his body.  She was carving him up like a roast, and yet she kept pushing him to fight harder.   
  
“What’s the matter?  Afraid I won’t be able to handle it?” she scoffed.  She pointed at her chin.  “Come on.  Hit me!”   
  
The fact was that not even the Shockmaster knew what the Fifth Move of Doom was.  He’d never needed it, and he had no idea how to use it. The Mystics who taught him the first four moves would only tell him that he “would know what to do when the time came."  In those days, he had been satisfied to trust their words, even when they spoke in riddles.  Besides, his usual techniques and powers had usually been more than enough to accomplish his objectives.  He had only used the Psi-Shock a handful of times in his long career.  Luffa was the first and only one to resist it.  And it had merely whetted her appetite for battle.    
  
For the first time since he became the Shockmaster, he was completely unsure of what to do next.  The first three Moves of Doom were inferior to the fourth, and unlikely to succeed.   But he had to do _something_ , and quickly.   Each second he tarried here gave her allies time to sabotage the Recollector.   
  
"I’m waiting!” she said.  “No, on second thought, I’ve waited long enough.”  
  
As she charged towards him, all he could do was improvise.  Blocking her first strike with his left hand, he charged the fingertips of his right hand with power and swung his arm over his head.  The night sky had been clear, but when he lowered his hand, the stars were suddenly obscured by dark clouds that materialized out of nowhere.    
  
Luffa noticed this immediately, and when she glanced up to look, she grinned expectantly.  The Shockmaster didn’t mind, since this attack wasn’t designed for stealth.    
  
_**“THUNDERBIRD!”**_ he shouted, and the dark clouds coalesced into the shape of an enormous winged creature.  It descended upon Luffa, lightning crackling from its shadowy talons.   
  
“Not bad at all…” Luffa said with a smirk.  She backed off from her assault on the Shockmaster and turned her focus to the Thunderbird.  When it opened its beak to fire a blast of energy at her, she dodged it, but only just.    
  
“It’s not just your own _ki_ , is it?” Luffa remarked.  “You’re drawing energy from the planet, aren’t you?  I’m impressed!”   
  
The Thunderbird continued to chase after her, firing beams of energy from its maw, and slashing at her with its claws. Luffa kept avoiding it, laughing as she led the creature on.  She never bothered to counterattack, and the Shockmaster didn’t know if that was a good or bad sign.  He set that matter aside and concentrated on the second step of his plan.  Gathering energy in his right hand, he plunged it into the ground, burying his arm up to the elbow.  Crouching there, he watched Luffa carefully while the Thunderbird lured her into position.  
  
A moment later, from the ground directly beneath Luffa, there came a glowing filament that burst from the soil like a vine made of pure electricity.   While her back was turned, it reached out for her, coiling as if to grab hold of her ankle.  At the last possible moment she spotted this, and rolled away, causing the filament to swat uselessly at her boot heel.  Watching from a distance, he could tell that she had deduced his plan to catch her in a pincer attack.    
  
But he wasn’t finished yet.  The Lightning Ribbon was more than just a single ligature of energy.  As Luffa continued to avoid the Thunderbird, more electric filaments burst from the ground, each appearing in anticipation of her movements.  He purposely timed these attacks to lull her into a false sense of confidence, to make her think that she could anticipate when and where each ribbon would appear.  Then he revealed their true speed, and managed to snare her wrist just as she was dodging the Thunderbird’s talons.  Wasting no time, he brought the remaining Lightning Ribbbon filaments to the same spot, and in a matter of seconds he had all four of her limbs secured.     
  
However, there was still enough slack on the filaments that she wasn’t completely immobilized.  The point of the Lightning Ribbon wasn’t to restrain an opponent, after all.  With a determined growl, he activated the attack, and Luffa suddenly convulsed.  Wracked with pain, there was no way for her to avoid the Thunderbird’s next strike, which would almost certainly cripple her–  
  
But it never came.  The Thunderbird swooped in, opening its shadowy beak to vomit fire upon her, and then Luffa looked up at it and did the same thing.  A stream of _ki_ energy from her mouth engulfed the Thunderbird, forcing it back while she tensed her arms and legs against the coils of the Lightning Ribbon.  
  
The Shockmaster regarded this with a detached fascination.  He had used these moves separately in the past to defeat his most powerful enemies.  Now he was using them in concert, and it _still_ wasn’t enough to stop her.  Before long, the Thunderbird would falter under her attack, or the Lighting Ribbons would wither.  They weren’t meant to be used for long periods of time.  He had never _needed_ to use them for prolonged battles of attrition.    
  
But he wasn’t finished yet.  Unorthodox as it was to combine two of the Five Moves of Doom, he still had a third to add to his assault.  Charging power to his left hand, he grasped his right arm, to which the Lightning Ribbon was still tethered.  Then he activated the Third Move: the Drain Charge.  
  
The Shockmaster’s techniques all adapted _ki_ energy to the principles of electrical energy.  The Drain Charge took that principle further by converting an enemy’s _ki_ into a form the Shockmaster could absorb and use for himself.  Normally, this relied upon making physical contact, but the filaments of the Lightning Ribbon would serve as a conductor, allowing him to use this ability at a distance.  Almost instantly, he saw Luffa’s resistance waver, while his own body felt revitalized.    
  
She continued to fight, however, and he could see no way to end the standoff, short of draining her power until the Thunderbird could overwhelm her defenses.  It would be a slow process, but one he expected to get easier with time.   His only regret was that he couldn’t add the Psi-Shock to this attack.   Ineffective as it had been, it _had_ kept her pacified for a minute or so, which would have allowed the other three moves to finish the job.  Now, there was no point in trying.  Luffa understood the Psi-Shock for what it was, so a second one would be a wasted effort.    
  
As he struggled to focus on three attacks simultaneously, Luffa continued to thrash and pull against her bonds, even as she continued firing energy from her mouth at the Thunderbird.  He had expected her to try some other tactic, or do _something_ to resist the flow of power from her body.  Did she not understand her predicament?  Or was she too overconfident to appreciate it?    
  
And then he felt a pain in his arms.   He looked down at them to see what was wrong.    
  
They were engulfed in golden flames.    
  
This alone wouldn’t have bothered him, but he began to feel a strange restlessness along with the increase in power.  He tried to restrict the flow of power, but found that he _couldn’t_.   He pulled his arm out of the ground.  The Lightning Ribbons attached to his left hand were throbbing and glowing yellow.  He stared at his hands in horror. The restlessness soon gave way to panic.  Desperately, he looked back at Luffa, hoping to find some kind of explanation.    
  
As if sensing his confusion, she suddenly broke off her attack on the Thunderbird and headed straight for him.  The Lightning Ribbons held fast to her arms and legs, but were pulled out of the ground as she moved, kicking up a cloud of dirt.  The Thunderbird chased after her, but its movements were much more sluggish and imprecise than they had been.  If the Shockmaster hadn’t been so preoccupied with defending himself, he might have deduced the reason for this.  
  
He tried to shoot an energy blast at Luffa, but the result was too diffuse to do any real damage, and he couldn’t guide it in the direction he wanted it to go.  It sailed harmlessly over Luffa’s head and nearly hit the Thunderbird.    
  
He started to tremble violently and then he began to scream.  And then Luffa was upon him, driving both of her fists into his throat.    
  
“Not so easy, is it?!” she asked.  “Let me show you how it’s done.”  
  
With a casual grace, she swung her right hand across her upper body, nearly touching her left shoulder, then swung it out again, launching a burst of green energy from her outstretched index and midddle fingers.  The Thunderbird shuddered when the blast made contact, and then it dissipated into nothingness.    
  
“It took me _days_ to get my Super Saiyan form under control,” she said, gesturing at the glowing hair on her scalp.  “And even then, I had to be careful what I did while I used it.  But I stuck with it and figured out how to use my full power _exactly_ the way I wanted.  I am a Saiyan, after all.”   
  
She grabbed some of the filaments that held her right wrist and winced as she ripped them apart.  “These ropes of yours _hurt_ , I’ll admit, but not as bad as that beating you gave me the first time we fought.  And your energy drain kind of dampened the effect.   It was clever to combine your techniques, but they’re not completely compatible with one another.”  
  
He tried to punch her, but she sidestepped it and responded with a knee to his midsection.  “You were trying to absorb my power, but you couldn’t do it fast enough to weaken me.  Worse, you had to take more of that power into your own body, and you weren’t prepared for it.  It’s too… wild.  You couldn’t control the Thunderbird as precisely, because you were trying to keep yourself from freaking out.”  
  
She finished freeing her legs from the Lightning Ribbon, but held all the strands in one hand, which she closed into a fist.  The flow of power continued unabated.    
  
“Maybe we should finish it like this,” she suggested.  “It’ll level the playing field a little… but no, you might flip out and accidentally blow up the planet.  And I might get too weak to stop you.  I don’t want to lose sight of what I’m fighting for here."    
  
The Shockmaster was stunned.  He didn’t know what to do.  After a few seconds, the Lightning Ribbons faded, mostly because he no longer had the presence of mind to maintain such complex energy constructs.   He took a step back, and Luffa glanced down at her now-empty hand.    
  
"Good for you,” she said idly.  “Better to lose on your own terms.   Accepting a handicap from me would be disgraceful.  Come to think of it, I apologize for even suggesting it.  You’re scum, Shockmaster, but you’re still really strong.  Worthy of a little respect.  You deserve an honorable death, at least.”  
  
He took another step back, and Luffa stepped forward.  She looked up at him and smiled knowingly.    
  
“What’s wrong?” she asked.  “You’ve got plenty of power left.  You came to this planet for a fight, didn’t you?   You said you wouldn’t forgive all the terrible things I said about your homeworld.  You want to conquer Extraliga, don’t you?"  She held up her hand and wagged her fingers towards herself.  "Well come on.  The fight’s _this_ way, you miserable oaf.”  
  
He didn’t know what to do.  He had come this far, after so long, and this awful woman–this _nightmare_ –refused to let him pass.  Before, he simply pitied her for a fool.  Now he despised her.  In spite of his lofty code against killing, he _wanted_ to kill her, and he was ashamed of that.  Not for wanting to kill her, but because he knew that he _couldn’t_.  
  
“Come on,” Luffa said.  “Fight me.  You don’t want to let _Wist_ down, do you?   You’re their _champion_ , after all.”  
  
His thoughts turned to the mystic sorceress who granted him his enchanted helm, who taught him to use the power of the Shockmaster.  Kind, beautiful, impossibly old.  He had promised to do anything for her, never imagining that he might taste failure.  
  
“What about that fifth move?” Luffa asked.  “There were _Five Moves of Doom_ , you said.  I’ve only seen four.  Maybe that last one was a dud.   Your teacher must have slacked off that day.”  
  
He had trouble seeing the sorceress’ face in his mind.  She had been dead for millennia, after all.   Now, he couldn’t help but imagine Luffa’s hideous visage in her place, spitting on Wist’s heritage, mocking everything that was good and just about it.  It sickened him that a Saiyan’s ignorance was backed by greater power than the combined majesty of Wist’s Mystic Council.    
  
He couldn’t just give up here!  There had to be a way!    
  
And then, suddenly, he sensed it.    An answer.    The solution to _everything_.  
  
Wasting no time, he collapsed to the ground like a corpse.  
  
 **NEXT: Mindgames**


	65. Chapter 65

**_[24 November 236 Before Age.  Extraliga.]_ **

“I’m in.”

Zatte had spent a week preparing for this.  The theory was simple: Since the Recollector was designed to detect certain life signs and only allow those with Wistian _ki_ to use it, she would disguise her own life energy to fool the machine into giving her access.  In practice, the task had been more difficult than she had expected.

Every Dorlun was blessed with a special innate ability, and Zatte’s was to manipulate energy.  Mostly, she used this to bend light waves around her body to become invisible, and to mask her own _ki_ to prevent enemies from sensing her presence.  Fooling the Recollector worked on a similar principle, and it was just a matter of warping and shaping her life energy as it emanated from her body.  Making it _different_ was easy; the greater challenge was altering it to match something specific.

For practice, she had tried to imitate Extraligan _ki_ signatures, since there had been plenty to use as a reference.  She had also tried to mimic Luffa’s power from memory, although she couldn’t hope to match the intensity.  Such exercises had been helpful, but she had to wait for the Wistian invasion to arrive before she could put her technique to the test.

She had sensed the Shockmaster as soon as he reached the planet, and started immediately.  His footsoldiers would have worked just as well, but he was by far the most powerful, and she wanted a strong _ki_ signal that she could sense at a great distance.  Also, by focusing on a single reference, she could avoid getting distracted by the subtler differences between individuals of the same species.

Now, as she touched the Recollector for the first time, Zatte breathed a sigh of relief.  Until now, it had been completely intangible to anyone who had tried to touch it or move it.

“You were right Tobiko,” she said aloud.  "It’s a telepathic interface.  Can the rest of you see the displays I’m seeing?“

She was mentally linked to a band of anti-Wistian rebels on the opposite end of the galaxy, thanks to an alchemical potion brewed from samples of her own blood.  In reality, she was alone in a cavern near one of Extraliga’s oldest cities, standing in front of the Recollector, which lay on a stone slab.  In her mind, the four of them were sitting at a table in a roadside bar, with the Recollector laying on the tabletop like an appetizer tray.

It was a prism-shaped object, about five feet in length and three feet in height.  Zatte could see green rectangles appearing on the surface, displaying information in an alien script.  Paradoxically, she couldn’t read the words, but she comprehended their meaning anyway.

"I see it now,” M’ranga said from the opposite side of the table.  "These glyphs fell out of use before the end of the Second Reformation…“

"Is that bad?” Zatte asked.  She peeked over the edge to gauge M’ranga’s reaction.

“No, I don’t think so,” she said.  "It’s just that this thing’s a lot older than I realized.“

"You’re touchin’ the thing now, right?” asked Scotch Woodcock.  It was his mental abilities that made this mind-conference possible.  Now his three eyes were staring intently at Zatte, as he focused on her mind to keep the connection as strong as possible.

“Yeah,” Zatte said.  In the real world, she patted the surface of the Recollector.  It felt like polished marble, though it was warm to the touch.  "Right now it’s solid as a rock.“

"Then suppose you take the bloody thing to a ship and get it the hell out of there?” he suggested.

“No good,” Zatte said.  "I’m behind enemy lines already.  The city near my position is under occupation, so I’d have to get past a lot of Wist soldiers just to make it to a ship.  And even if I did manage to get off the surface, the Shockmaster’s fleet has Extraliga surrounded right now, so they’d be sure to intercept me.    Once the Shockmaster finds out what I’ve got, it’s all over.“

"We’ve no choice,” Tobiko said.  "We must permanently disable the Recollector here and now, if we can.“

"First thing’s first,” Zatte said.  "I’m going to reset this thing to allow non-Wistians to operate it.  At least that way I can drop my ‘disguise’, and it’ll be a good test of how much we can really do with this thing.“

"Be careful,” M’ranga warned.  "There may be other security measures to deal with.“

"My people are all _about_ careful, Ensign,” Zatte said with a mirthless smirk.  "We don’t know how to do things any other way.“

"Never did tell us what your species is, girl,” Woodcock mentioned casually.

“You’re right, I didn’t,” Zatte said.  "Nothing personal, just a precaution.“

******

* * *

At one point, they hit a snag, and Zatte took a break while M'ranga and Tobiko tried to make sense of a line of Ancient Wistian Runecode that defied telepathic comprehension.  In the cavern, she continued to stand before the Recollector, listening carefully to the proximity alarms she had rigged to alert her of any unexpected visitors.  In the psychic bar, she was playing an imaginary game of darts.  The game was pointless, since it wasn’t real, and Zatte couldn’t miss the board unless she wanted to.  It was just something to do with her hands, although her real hands weren’t actually doing anything at the moment. It was strange to divide her awareness this way, but she had grown somewhat accustomed to it.

Suddenly, she gasped and botched her next throw completely.  Woodcock, who had been watching her play, raised one of his eyebrows.  

"It’s her,” she explained.  "They’ve started fighting.“

"Been keepin’ tabs on the missus, have ya?” Woodcock asked.  

“Not really,” Zatte said.  "But this _ki_ … it’d be hard _not_ to sense it.“

"Any idea who’s winnin’?” he asked.  

She shook her head.  "I can’t tell.  The powers are too huge and I’m too far away to sense anything that specific.  But I do know that she’ll do everything she can to drag it out.  So there’s no telling if she’s just toying with him or buying us time.“

Woodcock took a swig from his drink and snorted.  "Reckon we oughta hurry along, then,” he said.

******

* * *

The next several minutes had been very productive, but not decisive.  The four of them crowded around the Recollector and watched while Zatte worked the controls.  For the sixth time, the display image read “INVALID COMMAND” in ancient Wistian glyphs.  

“It’s not working,” Zatte said.  "I can do just about anything I want with this thing, _except_ destroy it.“

"Maybe there’s a higher-level access you need,” M’ranga suggested.

“No, we’ve been over that,” Zatte said.  "The only security measure was the Wist-only thing, and I shut that off.“

"How 'bout you rig it so _nobody_ can access the bloody thing?” Woodcock asked.   “It’ll just stay intangible forever.    Problem solved, isn’t it?”

“I like that idea, but I can’t find any way to do that in this interface,”  Zatte muttered.  "If it can be done at all, we may not have time to figure out how.“

"Then we may have no choice,” Tobiko said.  "You may have to risk moving the Recollector to take it off the planet.“

"I don’t know…”  Zatte said.  "You might be right, but– Wait… something’s happened.“

"What’s it doing?” M'ranga asked as she leaned into look at the Recollector’s display.  

“No, I don’t mean _here_ ,” Zatte said.  "The fight on Extraliga.  I can still sense Luffa’s _ki_ , so she’s fine.  But the Shockmaster is… gone?”

*******

* * *

Luffa stared at the prone body of the Shockmaster.   She had been waiting for him to make his next move, when suddenly he collapsed, and his _ki_ dwindled to almost nothing.  It simply didn’t add up.  He was demoralized, perhaps even desperate, but he was far from _beaten_.

She approached him cautiously, anticipating a trick, but as she circled around him, she could find no signs of what he was up to.  She only knew that she could not accept this situation at face value.  An attack now might spring some sort of trap.  By the same token, if he was playing for time, she couldn’t afford to delay.    

She decided to split the difference and flew away, heading for what remained of the Wistian base camp he had been setting up when they began fighting.  She returned with a pistol and an explosive shell.  Hovering at what she judged to be a safe distance, she lobbed the shell towards the Shockmaster, then took aim with the gun.  If he was truly incapacitated, he would be helpless against these weapons.  It was possible that he had some way to mask his *ki* while he used it, similar to the technique Luffa had learned from Zatte, but even if his *ki* was undetectable, he would still have to use it to defend himself.  

To her surprise, the shell exploded on contact, but when the smoke cleared, the Shockmaster remained unharmed and unmoved.  She fired on him several times with the pistol, but the plasma beams did absolutely nothing when they reached his body.  Then she noticed the dust cloud that had formed around him.

Luffa swooped down and took a closer look.  Her shots had passed _through_ the Shockmaster, only to blast at the ground beneath him, and kick up the dirt, which also passed through his massive body.   She recalled that she had heard about this ability before.  The last time she had fought the Shockmaster, he had been in some sort of deep meditation just before their battle.  During that meditation, he was completely intangible, and his _ki_ was drastically reduced.  

But what good did it do him to use this power in the middle of a fight?   Luffa couldn’t hurt him, but neither could _he_ hurt _her_.  Did he seriously expect her to just leave and give him a chance to escape?  She had worked too hard for this victory to walk away now.  

“I’ve worked too hard… and so have _you_ …” she muttered to herself as she crouched next to his body.  "There has to be a tactical purpose to this.  I just need to connect it with your objective, and–“

She suddenly clasped her hand over her mouth as the answer came to her.  

*******

* * *

_**"FOOLS!  DID YOU TRULY BELIEVE YOU COULD HIDE THE RECOLLECTOR FROM ME?!”** _

Without warning, the Shockmaster was there in the bar with them.  Woodcock rose from his seat to confront him.

“Private party, mate,” he grumbled.  "Bugger on off.“

"Scotch, let me handle this!” M’ranga said as she stepped in front of him.  "We need you to maintain the telepathic link!“

"That’s the point, love,” Woodcock muttered.  "This whole place is just a mental construct.  If he’s here, talkin’ to us, then it’s down to me to kick him out.“

 _ **"YOU THINK YOU HAVE ANY ADVANTAGE HERE?”**_ the Shockmaster bellowed.   _ **“YOU’RE EVEN MORE HELPLESS AGAINST ME THAN IN THE REAL WORLD!  ALL I WANT IS THE RECOLLECTOR, AND NOW–!”**_

He raised his hand, and a stream of lightning arced across the room, striking the large prism on the table.  Zatte backed away, but continued to watch the displays on the device.

“Zatte!” Tobiko cried.  "Shut it down!“

"I can’t!” she shouted after a suspenseful moment at the controls.  "What the hell is he doing?!“

 _ **"WHAT I CAME HERE TO DO!”**_ he said.   _ **“WHAT I’VE BEEN WAITING TO DO FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS!  AND NONE OF YOU CAN STOP ME!  NOT LUFFA, AND CERTAINLY NONE OF YOU!”**_

“Luffa?   What did you do to her?!” Zatte demanded.   “Answer me!”

He gave no reply, other than to laugh as the tendril of electricity danced from his finger.  Before her, the Recollector’s displays flickered with readouts and instructions.

“He’s controlling it remotely,” Tobiko said.  "It’s a telepathic interface… but the Shockmaster never displayed this kind of ability before–!“

"Bollocks!”  Woodcock growled.  He stormed toward the Shockmaster, ready to fight.  "Don’t care what-all he can do, he’s in _my_ world now, and that means–!“

As he reached out to grab the Shockmaster, he was suddenly enveloped in bolts of violet lightning.  Woodcock began to convulse where he stood.  When the Shockmaster finally swatted him away and knocked him to the ground, it seemed almost merciful.

” _ **YOUR MENTAL POWERS MAY BE FORMIDABLE INDEED,**_ “ the Shockmaster proclaimed.   _ **"BUT YOU’LL NEVER OVERPOWER MY FORCE OF WILL!  NONE OF YOU CAN!”**_

“We’ll see about that,” Zatte said grimly.  "We might not be able to beat _you_ , but I’ve spent a few weeks figuring out how to operate this kind of tech.  And if I shut it off, all that force of will means nothing!“

_**"FOOL!  IT WAS** _ **YOUR** _**ACTIVATION OF THE RECOLLECTOR THAT ALLOWED ME TO SENSE IT IN THE FIRST PLACE!  THE RECOLLECTOR WAS DESIGNED FOR** _ **MY** _**PEOPLE TO USE!  AN OUTSIDER LIKE YOU COULD NEVER OVERRIDE MY COMMANDS!”** _

“Yeah, but in the real world, I’m standing a lot closer to this thing than you,” Zatte said, hoping she sounded braver than she felt.  “I’m betting that gives me some kind of edge.”

 _ **"THEN I’LL DEAL WITH YOU FIRST!”**_ the Shockmaster said.

“You’ll have to kill me,” Zatte said defiantly.  "I know what you plan to do with this thing!   You’re going to expose millions of people to lethal doses of radiation!  I won’t just stand by and let you murder everyone on Extraliga.“

He raised his hand and pointed at Zatte, who ducked behind the thoughtform of the Recollector as best she could.  She didn’t know what else to do.  Disconnecting herself from this mental conference seemed useless.  It would allow her to hide her own person, but if the Shockmaster could operate the Recollector from anywhere on the planet, then there was nowhere to run.  The _only_ chance lay in opposing him, and the only place to do that was where she stood.

But she _couldn’t_ oppose him, not for more than a few seconds.  She was reminded of her last stand on the Durlo Prime colony, knowing that all she could do was buy time, and very little of it, and for a very high price.  

She set her jaw and waited for whatever came next.

The Shockmaster stomped towards her, his massive arms reaching out for her.

And then, the entire pub was engulfed in golden flames.

 _ **"WHAT–?!”**_ the Shockmaster snarled.  

As he glanced around in confusion, Zatte smiled.

“Bastard!  Did you think you could sneak past me, Shockmaster?!” Luffa screamed.  " _Me?_ “

 _ **"IT CAN’T BE!”**_ he shouted. **_"NOT NOW!“_**

The form of Luffa seemed to coalesce from the flames.  She went straight for the Shockmaster and began punching him.

"You _coward_ ,” Luffa screeched.  "I told you before: You have to get through _me_ before you get to the Recollector!  A _warrior_ would have accepted that challenge.  But _you_ –!  You tried to trick your way around me! _Well it won’t work!_ “

"NO!” the Shockmaster protested.  The flames licked at his body, and he cried out in pain.  Zatte looked to the others, and saw that they were all surrounded by yellow fire, but none of them were harmed.    It actually felt pleasant to her, though the bar was quickly turning into a smoldering wreck.

 _ **“YOUR WILLPOWER**_ **CANNOT** _ **BE GREATER THAN MINE!”**_ he screamed.   _ **“YOU CANNOT BE**_ **DOING** _ **THIS!”**_

Zatte knew better, although she saw no need to explain it aloud.  Again, she was reminded of the last battle of Dorlu Prime, and the image of Luffa, drenched in blood, fighting well after the battle was lost.  Zatte spared a moment to admire her wife in action, then returned her attention to the Recollector.

And then suddenly, the two combatants were both gone.  The yellow flames were gone as well, and the damaged they had done to the bar vanished with them.    Woodcock rose to his feet and straightened his black hat.

“What happened?” M’ranga asked.

“I managed to sever the connection between us an’ them,” Woodcock explained.  "Couldn’t do it before, but once they started fighting…  Well, I think she musta helped me out.  Doubt I could do much of _anything_ to that crazy bint if she didn’t want me to.  Like a bloody tornado, she is.“

He glanced back at Zatte and quickly added: "Er, no offense, of course.”

“None taken,” Zatte said.  "She’d probably consider that a compliment… Oh _no_ …“

"What is it?” Tobiko asked.

Zatte’s fingers scrambled over the interface display as she tried to make sense of what she was seeing.   “I… I have control over the Recollector again, but it’s too late!  He managed to set it for a retrieval!”

“Can you cancel the command?” M’ranga asked.

“No, it’s locked in,” Zatte said anxiously.

“How ’bout pullin’ the plug?” Woodcock suggested.

Zatte nodded and spent a moment at the controls.  When she looked up again, her expression was even more worried than before.

“I _can’t_!”

**NEXT: Countdown to Extinction**


	66. Chapter 66

**_[24 November 236 Before Age.  Extraliga.]_ **

The Shockmaster awoke from his meditative trance to find Luffa on top of him, grasping the sides of his helmet with her hands.  She was furious.  He didn’t care.

 **“YOUR MISTAKE WAS IN SENDING YOUR ALLIES TO TAKE CONTROL OF THE RECOLLECTOR,”** he said. **"WHEN THEY ACTIVATED IT, I WAS ABLE TO SENSE ITS PSIONIC SIGNAL.  IT WAS A SIMPLE MATTER TO ENTER MY COMMANDS INTO THE DEVICE.“**

"I pulled you back to reality, didn’t I?” Luffa shot back.  "Your trance made you intangible, so I couldn’t hurt you physically, but I could force your body to become solid again with my own mental powers.“

 **"IT DOESN’T MATTER!”** the Shockmaster bellowed.   **“THE RECOLLECTOR IS SET!  SOON IT WILL BRING THE UR-EMBER FROM THE DISTANT PAST, BRINGING IT TO THIS WORLD!  AND THERE’S NOTHING YOU OR ANYONE ELSE CAN DO TO STOP IT!”**

“ _Fine!_ ” Luffa shouted.  "Let’s say you’re right.  Nothing I do from here on out matters!  The Ur-Ember is coming to Planet Extraliga, like it or not!  Well, what happens when it gets here?  What’s the next part of your stupid plan?!  The radiation from that thing will _kill everyone on the planet!_ “

 _ **"NO, NOT**_ **EVERYONE** _ **!**_ ” the Shockmaster scoffed. _**"THE**_ **CHOSEN** _ **WILL SURVIVE THE UR-EMBER’S RADIATION!  THEY**_ **ALONE** _ **WILL SURVIVE… AND MORE!“**_

"What are you babbling about?!” Luffa demanded.  He savored the moment before he answered.  Strong as she was, she had lost the initiative at the moment the Recollector was activated.  Now she would try to play for time, goad him into revealing his plans, in the futile hope of finding some way to stop them.

 _ **“THE UR-EMBER IS A MYSTICAL POWER SOURCE UNLIKE ANY OTHER,”** _ he said. _**“LONG AGO, MY PEOPLE HARNESSED IT’S MAGICAL MIGHT TO BUILD A GREAT STAR EMPIRE, BUT BEFORE THAT, IT ORIGINATED HERE, ON EXTRALIGA!**   **BACK THEN, THIS WORLD WAS UNINHABITED, AND SO A BAND OF WARLOCKS USED THIS PLACE TO UNLEASH THE UR-EMBER’S POWER, MAGNIFYING THEIR OWN MYSTIC POWER A HUNDREDFOLD!  MOST OF THEM MOVED ON TO THE PLANET WIST, WHERE THEY FOUNDED THE SOCIETY I NOW SEEK TO RESTORE, BUT SOME REMAINED HERE, AND INTERMARRIED WITH THE ANCESTORS OF THIS PLANET’S POPULATION!   AT LEAST SOME OF THEM STILL CARRY THE BLOOD OF THE ANCIENT WARLOCKS WITHIN THEM.  DILUTE AS IT MAY BE, A SELECT FEW CAN SURVIVE THE UR-EMBER’S RADIATIONS, AND BE REBORN AS A NEW RACE OF MYSTICS!”**_

Luffa was dumbstruck.  " _Then_ what?“ she asked.  "You think any of those people are going to want to help _you_?  After you destroy all their friends and families?!”

The Shockmaster crossed his arms over his massive chest and chuckled. _**"THEY WON’T BE ABLE TO CONTROL THEIR POWERS AT FIRST,“**_ he said.   _ **"THEY’LL NEED**_ **MY** _ **HELP TO SURVIVE, OR THEY’LL BE FORCED TO FEND FOR THEMSELVES ON AN EMPTY PLANET.  THOSE WHO ACCEPT MY HELP WILL RETURN WITH ME TO PLANET WIST, WHERE THEY CAN LEARN THE WAYS OF THEIR ANCESTORS, AND CREATE A NEW MYSTIC COUNCIL, FUELED BY THE POWER OF THE UR-EMBER, AND THE WISDOM OF WIST’S CULTURE.”**_

“I won’t let you get away with this,” Luffa said quietly.  "I’ll kill you.“

 _ **"AND WHAT WILL THAT ACCOMPLISH?”**_ the Shockmaster asked with a laugh. _**"YOU MIGHT BEAT ME, BUT YOU’LL STILL FAIL.  ENDING MY LIFE WILL ONLY ENSURE THAT**_ **NO** _ **EXTRALIGANS WILL SURVIVE.“**_

She screamed, and started punching his helmet.  He didn’t understand why she kept targeting the one part of his body that was armored, especially when she had already broken one of his ribs.  Ignoring the pain, he released a burst of _ki_ energy from his body, knocking her away long enough for him to get to his feet.  

Almost as soon as he rose to a standing position, she was back on him again, her punches and kicks even more vicious than he had thought possible.

"I actually _respected_ you once,” she seethed.  "I thought you were a worthy adversary, the kind I had dreamed of ever since I turned into this _thing_!   But you’re a coward!  And a hypocrite!  And a fool!“

He was defending himself with all his might, but for every fives strike he blocked, she landed a sixth.  And the blows were getting heavier with each moment.  He realized that this was it.  She had been merely enjoying herself before, but now she was determined to destroy him.  His only hope was to fight back, but every technique in his arsenal had failed to stop her.  His strongest attacks had failed, and she kept getting stronger and stronger.  

"All of this!  You did _all of this_ , for the sake of a dead country _no one even remembers_!” Luffa screamed.  "If it was so damned wonderful, then _why is it gone?!_ “

She kicked him in the chest and followed through with an energy blast to his torso.  He managed to bring his hands up to block it, but the impact still took a toll.  

"Everything you stand for is a relic!  Or a lie!  The people on this planet are _real_ , dammit!  They’re alive, and you’re trying to turn their planet into some sick… _experiment_?”

It was as though her anger was fueling her strength, or maybe it was the other way around.   He refused to give up, and yet he could see the writing on the wall.  He was losing!  And what truly filled him with despair was that defeat no longer surprised him.  How could any Saiyan be this powerful?

“Do you even _care_ about the people who might survive whatever it is you’re trying to do here?!  Some of them could have children!  And you’d kill their brats and turn them into what?  Sorcerers?  Gods?  Monsters?  You have no idea!  How do you think they’d _feel_?!  To see their whole!  Life!  Turn to!  Ashes!”

She was back on his helmet again, raving like a lunatic as she rained blows down upon him.  This time he could actually feel the impact of her knuckles against the silver metal.  

“And all they’ll have to _show for it_ is a power they didn’t earn!  A power forced upon them by an enemy!  And they’ll have to rely on the charity of _others_ to survive!”  

As the ferocity of her attacks increased, she started to become sloppy.  He managed to knock her back just long enough to get clear of her.  He wanted to fight back, but he knew his best bet was to withdraw.  Was she… _crying_?

“ _Not again!  I won’t let this happen to anyone else!_ ” she shrieked as she bombarded him with _ki_ blasts.  He dodged most of them, but not all.  

Suddenly, she was behind him, and she struck him in the small of his back.  He dropped to his hands and knees, only to find that his knees couldn’t support him.  

“It ends here, Shockmaster!” she snarled.  He could hear her charging her _ki_ , and then he could feel an intense heat on the back of his neck, like she was pressing a white hot iron against his flesh.  “Whatever happens with the Ur-Ember, whatever happens to the Extraligans, _you_ won’t be around to see it.  I’ll _destroy this planet_ before I let you have your way with it.  I’ll destroy Wist too, if I have to.”  

_**“N-NO…** **”** _

“I am going to _tear_ that _ridiculous helmet_ right off your shoulders!”  

She started striking the back of his helmet, and he could feel the heat with each blow.  Now that he could no longer defend himself, she was putting an enormous amount of _ki_ into her strikes, all for the singular purpose of unmasking him.  Perhaps she recognized the helmet as the source of his power.  He had thought it to be indestructible, though his faith in that was beginning to waver.  

But it was all he had left now.  He couldn’t move.  He was lying face down in the dirt.  She was relentless.  She would keep targeting the helmet until it broke apart.   His only hope was that it could resist the Saiyan until the Recollector’s work was complete.  There was no way to be sure, but it was possible that the Ur-Ember’s mystic energies might kill Luffa just as easily as most of the other life forms on the planet.  

And then he heard a _crack_.   

Like thunder.

And the world around him went white…

*******

* * *

Luffa had been punching the Shockmaster’s helmet for so long that she almost didn’t notice the surface beginning to buckle under the constant impact of her fists.  She was consumed with rage, but not so consumed that she couldn’t take satisfaction in the moment.  

She was afraid.  She didn’t know if Zatte could stop the Recollector, or what would really happen if the Ur-Ember was delivered to this planet.  Zatte would probably be the first to die–

 _No._  Luffa refused to entertain that train of thought.  Zatte was a Dorlun, a survivor.  If the Ur-Ember could be survived, then Zatte would find a way to stay alive.   If not, then Zatte would die for what she believed in.  It was unseemly to worry about one’s own wife in the middle of a war.  There was plenty of death to go around, after all.  

Perhaps it would have been better for Luffa to focus on the Recollector instead of fighting the Shockmaster, especially now that he was no longer able to fight back.  But he had tricked her once too often, and she knew that he had to die before she could turn her attention elsewhere.  That was the whole point of including Zatte in her plan, so Luffa could defeat the Shockmaster without distraction.  

She told herself this in an effort to focus her mind on the task at hand, but all she could think of was the horror that awaited the Extraligan population if she failed.  It wasn’t proper for a Saiyan to be so sentimental during a battle.  All this useless fretting was supposed to be bad for one’s fighting style.  She felt sick to her stomach, and yet the queasiness only seemed to make her stronger.  

And then a crack formed in the Shockmaster’s helmet, and a blinding light shone from the fissure.   Reacting on instinct, Luffa leaped away from the sudden illumination, thinking it might be some sort of attack.  Instead, the crack expanded, until at last the helmet split apart and crumbled into silver dust.  

She raised her arms over her face to shield her eyes from the light, and watched as his entire body began to glow with the same intensity.  To another observer, it might have seemed as if the Shockmaster was dying, but Luffa could still sense his enormous _ki_ , and she could feel it increasing.  

Dark clouds had been gathering in the sky since their battle began.  Now rain began to fall, and lightning flashed, first from one cloud to another, and then down to the ground.   The planet itself seemed to tremble as the light from the Shockmaster’s body grew brighter.  The raindrops sizzled as they fell upon him, producing a trail of steam.  

Without warning, he floated up from the ground and his body tilted into an upright position.  He was so bright now that Luffa could barely make out a distinct shape.  A bolt of lightning struck him, producing an intense flash.  Then at last the light faded, and his form became easier to see.  

He had changed.  His figure was basically the same: a mountain of a man with thick arms and a voluminous gut.  But the trousers and sleeveless jacket were gone, replaced with a skintight unitard colored gold and blue.  The silver helmet was gone, revealing the Shockmaster’s head, though most of it was covered by a blue mask.  Only his lower face was exposed, along with a tuft of dark, curly hair on the top of his scalp.    

But the change in appearance was insignificant next to the dramatic increase in his power.  Luffa had suspected that the Shockmaster still possessed immense reserves of _ki,_ and she had wondered when he would put it to use.  The time, it seemed, was now.  

In spite of her anger and fear, she smiled in satisfaction.  

“Behold, the Fifth Move of Doom,” he announced.  His voice was still low and rough, but much more natural than before.  If nothing else, it finally sounded like it was coming from his mouth for a change.   

“About time,” Luffa replied.  “I was wondering when you’d finally get around to that one.”

“Actually, you’re the one who activated this form, Luffa,” he explained.  "The elders who gave me this power told me that the Fifth Move of Doom would come to me when the time was _right_.  The helmet was the source of my power, but it was also a _seal_ , restricting my access to this power.“

"Until you ran into someone like me, someone strong enough to break the seal and release it,” Luffa said.  “So you’ve pulled out all the stops,  Should I be quaking in my boots now?”

“You’re not impressed?” he asked.  "You seemed disappointed with my power before.“

"Don’t get me wrong,” Luffa said.  She widened her stance and raised her arms to shoulder-level.  "I’m glad you’ve got more power to throw at me, and maybe the transformation would have been scarier for someone else.  But I transform all the time lately, so I guess it’s become old news for me.  Maybe I should start calling you the Super Shockmaster.“

"You’ve defied my objective long enough, Luffa.”

“Do something about it.”

“You want a piece of me?”

“A piece?”  Her eyes narrowed.    “Oh, I want the whole thing, Shocky.”

“Come after me!  I’m ready!”

Luffa vanished, and reappeared in front of the Shockmaster, with a ball of energy already fully-formed in her hand.  She tried to drive it into his chest, but he swatted her hand away, and sent the blob of light flying off into the distance.  Luffa pressed on with a flurry of punches and kicks, but the Shockmaster managed to block every single one.  

He struck back, narrowly missing her with a forearm strike.  Then another, and another.  Luffa was dodging them, but with less and less margin for error each time.  At last, she had to block his strikes, and then he finally managed to land a blow, driving his fist into her nose.  

She stumbled backward, her eyes shut tightly while she used her other senses to follow his movements.  When he tried to follow up with an energy blast, she avoided it, but not the elbow strike between her shoulder blades.  

Now it was her turn to lie face down on the ground.  She could hear him laughing triumphantly, drinking in the satisfaction.

*******

* * *

He had won!  The Mystics of Ancient Wist had done it!  His faith had wavered slightly in the end, but the promise of the power they had given him had been fulfilled.  Luffa was defeated, and the Ur-Ember would soon return to Extraliga.  The only ones who could possibly stop him were the ones trying to sabotage the Recollector, but with Luffa out of the way, he could put a stop to them quite easily.  

But he wouldn’t risk leaving her without certain assurances.  He knelt over her and put his hands around her neck.  He had sworn never to take a life, and while he was bending that rule by condemning most of Extraliga’s population to death, he still intended to honor his vow, at least as far as never killing by his own hand.  In spite of Luffa’s repeated interference, defiance, and disrespect, he would continue to spare her life.  

So instead of killing her, he would simply paralyze her.  A cervical fracture in just the right place would allow her to live, but keep her from coming back to interfere in his plans.  

It disturbed him that it had come to this, but he reminded himself that it was for the greater good.

And then suddenly she had rolled onto her back, and was wrapping her left arm around the back of his head.  Before he could make sense of what she was doing, she had seized his right arm into her left hand, then grabbed his right wrist wit her other hand after threading her arm around his own.  With a flash of yellow light, she rolled him over, forcing him onto his back.  He found himself looking up at her, his neck caught between his own immobilized right arm and her left.  

She was covered in mud now, and while the rain was washing some of it away, the trickle of blood from her nose continued unabated.  And her hair and eyes were as radiant as ever.  As she leaned back to put pressure on the hold, there was a look of sublime cruelty on her face, as though she had been waiting for a moment like this.  

The pressure on the sides of his head was immense, and he cried out in agony.  The only flaw with her hold was that it left his right arm free to attack, while her own arms were committed, and her legs were out of position to defend herself.  But when he punched at her head, she just snarled and applied greater pressure to the hold, smiling viciously all the while.  

“Did you think you were _ready_?” she asked with a chuckle.  "Ready for _me_?  You have _no idea_ what I am.   _But you’re about to find out_.“

Her eyes suddenly went wide, as if she had surprised herself with what she was now doing.   She yelled, and the golden aura around her body expanded in every direction.  

******

* * *

In a cavern near on of Extraliga’s oldest cities, there lay the Recollector, an ancient device that was now working to bring about the Shockmaster’s ultimate victory.  

Put simply, the Recollector had the ability to retrieve objects from the distant past and bring them into the present.  Before it was abandoned countless centuries ago, it had been originally designed for archaeological research, and carefully programmed to prevent it from being misused.  It could only be operated by Wistians who knew how to use it, and it had failsafes to foil any attempt to alter the course of history.  

But the Shockmaster had no intention of altering the past.  He had programmed the Recollector to retrieve an artifact that had once been on Planet Wist’s moon.  That moon was destroyed in a cataclysm, the Ur-Ember had been lost.  If the Recollector retrieved it at the very moment of the moon’s destruction, then there would be no change to the past.  

And so, with the Shockmaster’s program already running, there was nothing to stop the Recollector from completing its task.  There was a queue of instructions which could be edited as it worked, but once a step was in process, it could not be cancelled or interrupted.

Standing in front of the Recollector, Zatte placed her hands on its surface and concentrated.  The Recollector used a psychic interface, and as she thought about its function, it produced a holographic display that illustrated its status and available features.  

She was the only one who could stop the thing now.  The cavern was empty, save for the lamps she had set up earlier, and a carryall bag she had laid down a few yards away.  The Extraligan military was aware of her mission, but they had kept it classified, to prevent the Shockmaster’s forces from discovering the Recollector’s location.  There was little use in having anyone else accompany Zatte into the cavern.  She had studied the technology and devised the means to access its programming.  Either Zatte would disable the device, or not.  

But she wasn’t alone.  On the other side of the galaxy, three allies had established a telepathic conference with her, to provide assistance in deciphering the Recollector’s ancient runes.  This four-person collective manifested itself as an imaginary roadhouse, where they sat at a table with the Recollector in the center.  

"I’ve got it running a diagnostic now,” Zatte informed them.  "That won’t slow it down for long, but it’s just about the only step I can add to the queue that will take priority over the Shockmaster’s instructions.“  

"Where’s that leave us?” asked Scotch Woodcock.  He raised the brim of his black hat and regarded the Recollector with his three eyes.  It was his power that allowed them to communicate from one planet to another, but he had no practical experience with Wistian technology, so he could only look on helplessly and hope the others could offer more useful suggestions.  

“We can’t shut it off, and we can’t cancel the command,” M'ranga said grimly.  She was a freedom fighter, accustomed to saying inspirational things in the face of dire situations, but she was realistic enough to admit they had reached a dead end.  "Even if we could get the Recollector off this planet, we don’t have enough time to get to a safe distance before the Ur-Ember arrives.“

"How much time do we have left?” asked Tobiko.  The exiled wizard was incredibly old, and yet the Recollector was a forgotten relic before even he was born.  His magic had gotten them this far, but he had just about run out of tricks.  

Zatte shook her head.  "Thirty minutes.  Maybe a little longer if the preparation phase needs more time.  Dammit… there must be _something_ we haven’t tried yet.   _Anything_.“

She went over the systems menu one more time, while the others watched.  When she finally looked up, her expression was one of resignation.  

"Is it safe for you three to stay connected with me?” she asked.  

“We’re not even on Extraliga,” M'ranga reminded her.  "We’re on Planet Wist right now.“  

Zatte looked at Woodcock.  "Don’t get me wrong, I’m not giving up, but if we don’t think of something in the next half hour, me and everyone on this planet will be exposed to lethal radiation.  I’m no expert, but I don’t think it’s a good idea to be mindlinked to someone while they die.”

He curled his lip, revealng more of the teeth that held a cigar in his mouth.  "It ain’t exactly safe,“ he admitted.  "Doesn’t mean I plan on leavin’ ya.”

“Woodcock, we have to be practical about this,” Zatte protested.  "You can’t do any more good here–“

"Bollocks,” he said.  "Never said I was here to do ‘good’.  That’s M'ranga’s line.  I only tagged along to cause a little trouble.“

Zatte looked to Tobiko.  "Make him see reason,” she pleaded.  "There’s no point in risking your own lives like this.“

"We still have some time left, do we not?” Tobiko replied.  

“You said it yourself,” M'ranga added.  "You haven’t given up yet.  If you’re so worried for our safety, let’s focus on finding a solution.“

Zatte muttered a curse in the Dorlun tongue, then ran her fingers through her hair.  "All right.  All right.   What if I tried to disrupt its power?”

“You already tried to shut it off,” M'ranga said.  

“No, we tried telling this thing’s computer to shut itself down,” Zatte corrected.  "I’m talking about restricting the flow of power directly.  I have the ability to manipulate energy, you know.“

"There are magical elements in the Recollector, Zatte,” Tobiko warned.  "Even your skills would be poorly suited to cope with it.“

"I’ll try to be careful,” she said.  "This thing has temperature and conductivity sensors that have to reach a certain threshold before it can execute a retrieval.  So maybe if I can make it just a little too cold in there, or manipulate the electrical currents just a hair, I can fool it into waiting.  Maybe even trick it into aborting the whole queue.  At the very least, we can buy time until Luffa can help me haul this thing into space.“

They all looked at each other for a few moments, but none of them had had anything to say.  Finally, M'ranga nodded, and Zatte began her work.  

"The problem,” she said after a few minutes, “is that I have to stay in physical contact with this thing to make this work.  Normally I can manipulate energy at a distance, but this is trickier.”

“Never mind all that,” Woodcock said.  "Is it workin’?“

"I think so,” Zatte said.  "Yeah, the queue is paused while it waits to reach the required setpoints.  This just might work after all… I–“

And then suddenly she cried out in pain.  The other three rushed to her side, only to see her arch her back and clench her jaw, and then she fell backwards.   M'ranga barely managed to catch her before Zatte hit the floor of the roadhouse.  

"Something must have gone wrong!  Zatte, can you hear me?   What happened?”

Tobiko looked at the display on the Recollector and furrowed his brow.  "I believe the queue has resumed,“ he said.  "Perhaps we can try again, if Zatte is well enough to–”

The word “continue” died on his lips as he turned to find M'ranga holding no one at all.  Zatte–or rather the image of Zatte in the psychic conference– had vanished completely.  

“I can’t sense her,” Woodcock said after taking a moment to concentrate.  "Musta been some shock she got.  Coulda knocked her out, or just stunned her.  Soon as she comes 'round, I can try to bring her back to us.“

"If she _can_ come around,” M'ranga said darkly.  "For all we know, whatever that feedback was may have killed her!“  

**NEXT: Sudden Death**


	67. Chapter 67

**_[24 November 236 Before Age.  Extraliga.]_**  

Zatte was _not_ dead, though she wasn’t sure how much longer that would last.  

She was alone in a cavern near one of Extraliga’s oldest cities.  The whole planet was currently being invaded by a mercenary fleet assembled by the planet Wist.  Zatte’s wife, the Super Saiyan Luffa, was leading the defense against this invasion.  Zatte herself was a Dorlun, one of a reclusive species of survivalists.  The Dorluns had no interests on Extraliga, but Zatte had come to this planet anyway.  She believed that Luffa was more than a powerful warrior, but a watershed in the history of the universe.  It was more of a matter of faith than reason, but Zatte believed that Luffa’s agenda was worth supporting at any cost, up to and including Zatte’s own life.  

She rolled onto her side and raised her hands to the light from a lamp she had set up earlier.  There were blisters on her palms, and the normally blue skin had become an unsettling shade of magenta, but she took comfort in knowing that the burns were only second degree.  The pain was intense, but at least it didn’t look as bad as it felt.  

“Well, you always wanted to burn for her,” Zatte muttered to herself as she tried to get back to her feet.  Her movements seemed slow and sluggish, and this bothered her, but she refused to panic.  She would get the diagnostic tool out of the medkit and wait for it to tell her just how badly she was hurt.    

Of course, the real challenge was going to be getting the diagnostic tool out of the bag with minimal use of her hands.  She was reasonably sure she could handle it with her toes, but that would mean removing the boots she was wearing, and the socks was wearing under those.  Zatte thought she could do it, but she wasn’t sure how much time she had left.  

The Shockmaster had come to Extraliga in search of the Recollector, a device which could retrieve objects lost in the distant past.  His aim was to bring back a magical artifact of such immense power that its very presence on Extraliga’s surface would eradicate most of the life on the planet.  Luffa and Zatte had devised a two-pronged defense against this.  While Luffa intercepted the Shockmaster and his invasion force, Zatte would locate the Recollector first and sabotage it.  But the Shockmaster had managed an end-run.  During his fight with Luffa, he had been able to access the Recollector with his mind, and somehow input his instructions remotely.  

Now, there were only minutes left before the Ur-Ember was drawn into the present day, where it would emerge in the cavern and kill everyone with its mystic emanations.  Zatte had tried to stop it, but nothing had worked.  Her last attempt to interrupt the power flow inside the device had done nothing but burn her hands and interrupt her psychic connection to her allies on Planet Wist.   They had been helping her make sense of the Recollector’s ancient technology, but now she could no longer sense their presence in her mind.  The alchemical potion she had consumed to reach them must have worn off, or the Recollector’s feedback had severed the connection, or…

As she struggled to remove her boots, she made the mistake of using two of her fingers, and cried out from the pain.  Tears streamed from her one good eye as she fought to stay calm.   When the Ur-Ember arrived, Zatte would be the first to die.  Dorluns viewed survival as a moral imperative, but while most of them chose to avoid danger, Zatte reveled in it.  The thrill of mortal peril was a challenge that she normally enjoyed.   Until now.  

Now, all hope seemed lost.  The Recollector couldn’t be stopped.  She could try again, but there was so little time.  Escape was impossible.  She’d have to reach a shipyard and get into space to reach a safe distance from the Ur-Ember.  Not even Luffa could save her.  Zatte could sense her wife’s enormous _ki_ as she battled the Shockmaster.  They were too evenly matched.  Luffa could prevail, but not quickly enough to help Zatte with the Recollector.  Indeed, that had been the whole point of their plan.  Going in, Luffa had no idea how long it would take to beat the Shockmaster.  Zatte had come to this cavern to ensure that Luffa could take her time on that angle.  Their plan had collapsed.  

Zatte continued to work on her boots, and as she did, a very lonely feeling came over her.  She had been alone in the cavern this whole time, but she had never truly felt alone.   She had been able to sense Luffa’s _ki_ , and she had her telepathic conference for company.  Even without those, the mission of stopping the Recollector had given her a sort of companionship with the effort to save Extraliga.  

Without that mission to drive her, the self-recriminations began.  She felt like a fool for coming here all by herself.  She hadn’t wanted to bring along Extraligan soldiers for fear that they might attract attention from the invaders.  She didn’t think they could be of much help, and she wanted to minimize any risks to their safety.  Besides, she was Dorlun enough to want to keep a low profile.  Luffa was a celebrity throughout the galaxy, but that didn’t mean Zatte wanted to be one too.  These had all seemed like perfectly sensible reasons at the time, but now she would have liked to have someone else here, even if all they could do was treat her burns and talk to her while the world came to an end.  

The truth was that she had insisted on tackling this mission by herself for purely selfish reasons.  She admired Luffa, and saw her defense of Extraliga and other worlds as a holy crusade.  The fact that Luffa herself didn’t agree with this view only made it even more sacred to Zatte.  She would never be strong enough to truly fight alongside Luffa, but if she could make some important _contribution_ , then maybe–

But none of that mattered now.  Zatte had failed Extraliga, just as she had failed her own people on Dorlu Prime.  She hadn’t completely given up.  As she reflected on her failure, she had managed to remove both boots and one of her socks.   She had every intention of getting back to the Recollector and making one last try to stop it.  But this was more out of stubbornness than anything else.  She fully expected to die in this place.  All she could do now was struggle to the last.  

With more effort than she expected, she rose to her knees and turned to find the carryall.  Nearby, the Recollector hummed and made several other strange noises as it made the final preparations to bring doom to this world.  The sounds of its operation had been echoing through the cavern this whole time, to the point where Zatte had almost tuned it out.  

And so, she hadn’t heard the _other_ person in the cavern with her.     It wasn’t until Zatte turned around that she realized she _hadn’t_ been alone after all.

*******

* * *

“This’ll help with the pain, but I can’t do much else for you.  You’ll need a doctor.”  

“How did you get here, Keda?” was all Zatte could ask.  

The Dorlun child shrugged as she put away the medicated gel and reached for a spool of bandages.  "Same way you did,“ she said.  "I was hiding in your carryall the whole time.”

“Disguised as what?” Zatte asked.  Every Dorlun had a unique ability.  Zatte’s was to manipulate energy.  Keda was a shapeshifter.  Apparently Zatte had underestimated her level of skill.  

Keda held up the case that contained the medical kit.  "This,“ she said.  "I figured if you had seen two medkits in your bag, you wouldn’t complain.”

“That’s impossible,” Zatte said.  "I triple-checked the bag before I left.“

"No, you _double_ -checked it,” Keda said.  "I guess you got distracted by your _glorious_ mission.  Anyway, I’m here, and that’s all that matters.“

"You told me you didn’t want any part of this,” Zatte said.  "You said it was too dangerous.“

Keda began wrapping Zatte’s hands and shook her head.  "You and I are the only survivors of the colony on Dorlu Prime,” she said.  I mean, there’s probably other Dorluns out there, and I’ve been trying to find them with the subspace radio on the ship, but right now it’s just you and me.  Well, Luffa too, I guess.  She married in, after all.“

"Y-yeah,” Zatte said.  The medication was taking effect, dulling the pain in her arms, but there was still a tear in her eye nonetheless.  

“It didn’t feel right letting you two come here without me.  I don’t think Luffa’s a _xan-nil'Dor_ like you do, and even if she is, I don’t think it’s worth all our necks, but… well, we ought to stick together, right?”

“You could have just asked to tag along,” Zatte said.  "I’ve been on this planet for weeks.  You’re telling me you’ve been hiding in my luggage the whole time?“

"I snuck out to do some scouting,” she said.  "Kept tabs on you while you were looking for this place, checking for anything you might have missed.  I thought about giving you a hand with the Recollector, but you seemed to be doing well on that.  So when you came down here I stayed in the bag and waited to see if you needed any help.  Then I heard you scream.“

Zatte glanced toward the Recollector.  "It’s going to bring the Ur-Ember here,” she said.  "I thought I could redirect its energy, cut off it’s power source, but…“  She held up her now-bandaged hands to complete the thought.  

"But you managed to turn it on, right?” Keda asked.  “You have control over it.”

“Yes, but we can’t cancel this program while it’s in operation,” Zatte said.  She tried to stand, but couldn’t find the strength.  

“Don’t move,” Keda said.  "That thing did a real number on you, Zatte.“  

"We’re out of time!” Zatte said.  "Our only chance is to try what I did before.“

"It didn’t work before,” Keda said.  

“I know, but I was trying to be subtle about how I rerouted its power.  If I do something more drastic, it might–”

“It might kill you this time,” Keda said.  

Zatte swallowed hard and shut her eye.  "We’ll _all_ die if I don’t do _something_.“

Keda looked at the Recollector, then back at Zatte.  "I’ll take a look at it.  I’m pretty good with computers.  If I can’t come up with anything, we’ll try it your way.”

*******

* * *

Far away, Luffa and the Shockmaster were still fighting.  Luffa’s face was covered in blood, and part of her face was swollen and bruised.  The Shockmaster’s transformation had seemingly healed the injuries he had sustained earlier, but since then, Luffa had managed to deal him several new ones.  He was favoring his left arm, and gasping for air.  They stared at each other for a moment, then rushed in and attacked at the same time, their arms and legs moving in a blur.  

She was winning.  She was sure of it.  With each engagement, she was getting a little bit more of an advantage.  She had trained for endurance, figuring that the key was to be able to go the distance against the Shockmaster, and so far that analysis had been correct.  His transformation had brought all his power to bear, but at the cost of that seemingly limitless stamina he had relied upon before.  It was almost the reverse outcome of their first fight.  The only difference was that their power was much more evenly matched in the end, meaning that Luffa couldn’t put him away quickly.  All she could do was whittle him down until he succumbed to exhaustion.  

Yesterday, that outcome would have satisfied her completely, but not now.  Now, she couldn’t stop wondering if Zatte was able to shut down the Recollector.  

It shouldn’t have mattered!  If they died, then it would only be because they had been too weak to prevent it.   If Luffa were stronger, she could have beaten the Shockmaster and gone to help by now.  If the Extraligans were stronger, they could have taken a more direct approach to defending their planet.  And maybe they all _were_ strong enough after all.  It wasn’t over yet.  But it shouldn’t have mattered to Luffa.  There was no dishonor in losing.  There was no reason to worry about it, especially when the fight was still up for grabs.

Even so, it still gnawed at the back of Luffa’s mind.  Not only Zatte, but the Extraligans she had met.  Places she had visited on the planet.    That stupid hockey arena she and Zatte had gone to.   Luffa caught herself wondering if the arena might have been damaged in the invasion.   Was she actually worried about the _building_?  

For a brief moment, she thought she could finally understand the Shockmaster’s goals.  He was absurdly old.   In this day and age, he was a relic that deserved to be forgotten, except he was too powerful to be ignored.  He wanted to bring back a world he had lost, because he couldn’t bear to accept that it was gone.  

She pitied him.  He had outlived everything that had given his life meaning, but he was too powerful to die.  Luffa often wondered if she was in store for a similar fate.  To live out a long life as an unbeatable warrior, with no one to fight, and nothing to prove.  

Maybe that was why she was so worried about losing a damned hockey arena.  Deep down inside, she expected to go back there some day and pretend that it still held any significance to her.  The thought of an old Saiyan woman hobbling through a derelict sports venue sickened her.  She had half a mind to blow up the place today if they managed to win this war.  

All this woolgathering allowed the Shockmaster to land a blow on Luffa’s right ear.  She paid him back for it, but the sharp pain and momentary loss of hearing reminded her of the way her mother used to discipline her as a little girl.  Her mother had warned her about letting sentiment dull her combat instincts, but somehow Luffa couldn’t bring herself to focus on that lesson.  All she could think about was how her mother had been dead for years, and Luffa was probably the only one left in the universe who remembered her.  When Luffa died, it would be as if her mother had never existed.

The Shockmaster nearly got her left ear, and Luffa swore under her breath as she counterattacked. What made her furious wasn’t her mother, or the hockey arena, or any of the other distractions.  

It was that the distractions actually seemed to help her fight somehow.  The anxiety, the worry, the frustration, it all seemed like fuel being heaped onto a fire.   Her thoughts drifted back to something she had said to her mother in a dream: _“Why am I burning?”_

And in the dream, her mother’s answer: _“Because you do.”_

It made no sense at the time.  It still didn’t.  It was only a dream.  But it stuck with her anyway.  And somehow, as she pushed the Shockmaster closer and closer to his defeat, it seemed true to Luffa, even if she couldn’t explain how.  She didn’t question it.   She simply allowed herself to _feel_ , and to _burn_ , and to fight on.  

*******

* * *

Only a few minutes had passed, but Keda felt like she had been working for hours.  This was probably due to the effects of the vial of potion she had taken from Zatte’s supplies.  One dose was enough to allow Zatte to enter a psychic communion with their allies on Planet Wist, but– like a good Dorlun– Zatte had packed extra, just in case something went wrong.  It had been brewed specifically for Zatte’s biochemistry, but fortunately Keda was close enough for it to work on her too.  

As a result, she found herself in curiously existing in two realities.  While she was standing in front of the Recollector in the cavern on Extraliga, she was simultaneously existing in a roadside bar in someone else’s imagination.   Time seemed to flow differently in this state, which had given her a chance to update the others and get a basic introduction to the Recollector’s operation.  

“This reminds me of the diagnostic programs on the star yacht,” she said as she examined the Recollector’s interface display.  Most of the time, you can pause the sequence and have the computer rearrange the order of instructions to follow.  But some stuff can’t be canceled, like an engine shutdown.  Once you’re committed, it’s not safe to stop halfway.  You have to let it finish before you can move on to do something else.“

"Are you saying this is a safety feature, Keda?” asked M'ranga.  Keda had only heard of her.  It had been Keda’s understanding that she was a revolutionary guerilla who wore a gawdy costume, but Keda thought it looked pretty cool, although it wasn’t nearly as colorful as she had been told.  She also seemed a lot less chipper than Keda would have expected, although that was probably because of the situation they were in.  

“It might be,” Keda said.  "I’m just thinking out loud.   I mean, the Ur-Ember’s dangerous, but even if the Recollector was just bringing a pottery shard back from the past, that would still take a lot of energy, I bet.  At least as much as a starship engine.  Cutting the process short might have been just as dangerous as letting it finish.“

"Ruddy brilliant.  Real glad you dropped in to tell us that, kid,” said Scotch Woodcock.  He looked like an unmade bed, if people slept with black leather sheets.  She disliked him almost immediately because of the cigar in his mouth.  Dorluns took a dim view of smoking, but there was a concerned look in his three eyes when she explained what had happened to Zatte, and this softened her first impression of the man.  Also, it occurred to her that he had lived much longer than she had, and if she didn’t find a way to deal with the Recollector, he was going to outlive her no matter what damage he did to his lungs.  

“I’m just saying we need to quit thinking about how to _undo_ this,” Keda explained.  "It’s already happened.  All we can do now is figure out where to put all that energy once it gets here.  Redirect it someplace safe.  Like venting drive plasma during an overload.“

"What you’re describing sounds like the power Zatte possesses,” said Tobiko.  Keda had heard he looked like some kind of swamp monster, but that description didn’t seem to fit at all.  She wondered if people in this roadhouse could assume whatever appearance they wished.  The idea amused her enough to want to try altering her own appearance, but then she remembered that she already had that ability in the real world.  

“You’re right, but she’d never be able to handle energy on the order of magnitude we’re talking about.  Luffa might have the capacity, but she’s busy, and I doubt she’d know how to do it.  It’d be nice if we could just send it all away to someplace until we had time to deal with it.  Wait…”

She stared at the Recollector and put a finger over her upper lip as she considered it.  The others stared at her expectantly.  

“What are you thinking, Keda?” M'ranga asked, unable to bear the suspense.  

“Well, this is basically a time machine,” Keda said.  "It only works one way, past-to-present, but we can still use that.  We’ve been worrying about stopping the Ur-Ember before it gets here and kills everybody, but ‘before’ and 'after’ can be whatever we want them to be.“

She placed her hands on the Recollector’s surface and began entering commands.  "Yeah… I think this can work.  Let’s just hope the Shockmaster doesn’t show up again to try to stop us.  I’m sure Luffa can keep him busy while I set this up.”

“The hell are you talkin’ about, lass?” Woodcock asked.  

“I’m setting the Recollector to run _another_ retrieval,” Keda explained.  "But before that, I’m adding in another step to wait for a really long time.  Let’s say, a billion years.“

"What good will that do?” Tobiko asked.  

“At the end of the billion years,” Keda went on, “the Recollector will follow my next instruction, which is to retrieve the Ur-Ember.  From this cavern.  From this date in time, about a few minutes from now.”

Woodcock was even more confused than before.   “Bloody… hang on a minute,” he pleaded.  

“I think I understand,” Tobiko said.  "The Ur-Ember will arrive in that cavern very soon, but as it emerges into our era, it will immediately be plucked back into the timestream by the Recollector in the future.“

"But it’ll still arrive on Extraliga eventually,” M'ranga objected.  "Now, or a billion years from now, it’ll still be dangerous to anyone living on the planet’s surface!  That’s not a solution! We’re just kicking the can down the road!“

"It’s the best we can do,” Keda said.  "Besides, in a billion years, Extraliga’s sun will be hotter than it is now, and Extraliga will be too hot to support life.  It’ll be a barren wasteland by then.  There won’t be anything left for the Ur-Ember to kill.“

"Oh,” M'ranga said sheepishly.  "That’s different.“

"But what about the Extraliga of the present?” Tobiko asked.  "For this plan to work, the Ur-Ember must arrive in this time, if only for a moment.“

"I was hoping you could tell me,” Keda said with a shrug.  "I only know the Ur-Ember’s radiation is dangerous.  I’m guessing a short burst is safer than a long one, right?“

He nodded.  "I can only make educated guesses, but I believe most of the population would survive a brief exposure, especially from a distance.  However, you and Zatte would be right there when it happens.  At such close range–!”

“We’ll have to _r–_ we’ll have to _risk_ it,” she said with a sigh.  "I won’t have time to get Zatte to safety.  From the sound of it, timing is everything.  I’ll have to stay with the Recollector and set the schedule manually.   That way I can be sure the Ur-Ember leaves as soon as it shows up.  With any luck, we’ll make it.“

She finished making her preparations, and dragged Zatte to the base of the Recollector, figuring that its alien composition might make provide some protection.  When there was only a minute remaining, she asked: "How do I disconnect from your telepathic link?”

“We’ve been over that with Zatte, kiddo,” Woodcock grumbled.  "We’re with ya to the end, whatever happens.“

She glared at him with a severe look that belied the difference in their ages.  "My people are _survivors_ ,” she said sternly.  "Don’t disrespect what Zatte and I are doing here by getting killed.  If we’re dying here, then the least you can do is live.  If not for yourselves, then do it for us, okay?“

Woodcock swallowed hard.  "Awright, awright, don’t get yer knickers in a twist.  You wanna go it alone, fine.  Anything else?”

Keda considered this for a moment.  "If you see Luffa, tell her what happened.  Tell her this was the best we could manage.  She’ll understand.“

A few moments later, the roadhouse was gone from Keda’s mind, leaving her to her task.  Zatte lay at her feet, half-asleep from the medication Keda had given her.  Either it was stronger stuff than Keda thought, or Zatte’s condition was worse than she realized.  It was probably better this way.  There wasn’t much Zatte could do from here on.  

In the last seconds remaining, Keda keyed in her best guess of the exact moment of the Ur-Ember’s arrival, and said a prayer.  Then she placed her hands on the Recollector’s surface… and watched.

**NEXT: The Surrender**


	68. Chapter 68

**_[24 November 236 Before Age.  Extraliga.]_**

What happened next in the cavern was beyond anyone’s ability to explain.   Even the ancient beings who designed and constructed the Recollector would have been confused, as they had created the prism-shaped device for the purpose of retrieving historical artifacts from the past.  They had things in mind like pottery, stone tools, and ancient scrolls.  They had never considered using the Recollector to transport something as powerful and dangerous as the Ur-Ember.

This had been the Shockmaster’s plan.  By bringing the Ur-Ember to Extraliga, its intense magical emanations would kill nearly all life forms on the planet, while a select few would survive.  This remnant would be the descendants of the ancient warlocks who used the Ur-Ember to found the Wist Hegemony, and the Shockmaster hoped that the Ur-Ember would awaken whatever latent power they had inherited from their ancestors.  He would then train these survivors and use both them and the Ur-Ember to recreate a new Wist Hegemony upon the ashes of the original.  

Neither he nor the Recollector’s designers had dreamed that a pair of Dorluns would attempt to disrupt the Recollector during a retrieval program.  Zatte attempted to disrupt the energy patterns inside it, and while this failed to stop its operation, she did more damage to the device than she realized.  The Recollector was well engineered, but it was extremely old, and even the most reliable technology can succumb to deterioration.  Zatte’s tampering damaged a key thermocouple element.  There were backups and fail-safes present to compensate for this, but these would also fail in the centuries to come.  The damage was hardly irreparable, but the last person qualified to repair the Recollector had died thousands of years ago.  

One might argue, then, that this was the fatal flaw in the Shockmaster’s ultimate scheme.   For all he dreamed of reviving the glorious past, the fact remained that it was gone.  What remained was merely a collection of relics and artifacts.  The Recollector, the Wistian homeworld, the handful of Extraligans who carried the genes of Wist’s founders, the Shockmaster himself, and so on.  Many of these relics were well-preserved and could give a scholar a tantalizing glimpse into that bygone age.  Many of these relics were powerful, and still capable of working great feats which would seem like miracles, even by the standards of the modern world.  But in the end, they were still relics: damaged, imperfect, incomplete, or simply obsolete.  The Shockmaster could gather them together and attempt to harness their power, but they would never be what they once were.  Wist would never be what it once had been, no matter how dearly he wished, nor how hard he tried to make it so.

Nonetheless, the Recollector was able, on that day, to carry out its task and transport the Ur-Ember from the moon of Planet Wist to Extraliga, across seventy-two centuries.  However, the second Dorlun, a girl named Keda, devised a second plan to foil the Shockmaster.  Though she couldn’t prevent the Ur-Ember from arriving on Extraliga, she could use the Recollector to ensure that it wouldn’t be staying very long.  She programmed the Recollector to wait one billion years in standby mode, then set it to retrieve the Ur-Ember all over again, thereby transporting it from Keda’s time into the distant future.  By that time, she expected Planet Extraliga would be an uninhabitable rock, and the Ur-Ember would pose no danger.  

And indeed, one billion years later, the Recollector finally reactivated, and carried out Keda’s instructions.  But by that time, the Recollector’s deterioration had advanced considerably, and the consequences of the damaged thermocouple finally took their toll.  To be sure, the Recollector was a very well-designed device, and the fact that it still worked at all, more than an aeon after its construction, was a testament to its builders’ skill.  But the minor flaws and misalignments that developed were enough to disrupt its delicate function.  

What Keda had _expected_ to happen was that the Ur-Ember would suddenly appear before her in a cavern on Extraliga.  In the next instant, it would then disappear, as it was taken on the second leg of its trip through time.  The only uncertainty was whether the Ur-Ember would emit enough lethal radiation in that instant to kill her and Zatte before it vanished.  She had tried to make its presence in the cavern as brief as possible, but there was no way to reduce the time interval to zero.   In other words, Keda expected it to all be over in less than a second.  Her plan would either work, or she would die where she stood.  

Instead, the Recollector of one billion years in the future failed to correctly gauge the target date and time that Keda had entered.  Instead of grabbing the Ur-Ember at the very moment it arrived, it tried to grab the Ur-Ember a microsecond early.  While this may appear to be a very small error, it was enough to cause a temporal distortion to open in the cavern.  To be sure, it was a relatively insignificant temporal distortion to those who study such phenomena, but it didn’t seem that way to Keda, who was standing directly under it.  It looked very much like a miniature hurricane made of dark purple stormclouds, and it lasted considerably longer than one second.

Completely unprepared for this development, Keda fell back on her innate power to alter her shape at will, and expanded her body to shield Zatte from the unknown phenomenon.  She wasn’t sure how much protection she could offer Zatte, or even what she was trying to protect her from, but it was the only thing she knew to try.  Above them, the temporal distortion altered the speed of the air molecules in the cavern, creating high winds that kicked up pebbles and anything else that wasn’t secured to the ground.  Extending her leg into a sort of tentacle, Keda looped it around the Recollector, and hoped that the combined weight of it, Zatte, and herself would be enough to stay put.  

But the temporal distortion wasn’t the only hazard at play.  The Ur-Ember was also present within it, although it was caught between the actions of the Recollector of this day and the one of a billion years hence.  Had Keda thought to look up, she might have noticed it floating amidst the swirls of purple.  It was a golden sphere with irregular fissures in its surface, and something inside of those fissures glowed red, as if there were a flame inside.  For twenty seconds, it hovered in the cavern, surrounded by the distortion.  

Fortunately for the Dorluns, the distortion blunted the deadly effects of the Ur-Ember’s mystic radiation.  A brief exposure would have killed almost anyone at this distance, but the ripples through time and space that separated them from the object interfered with the flow of its power.  Deadlier emanations which would have killed them in seconds now took entire minutes to reach Keda, while others were simply diffused and rendered harmless, or reflected back upon the source.  

Keda, of course, understood none of this.  She only knew the wind that surged around her, and that she had to protect herself and her friend for as long as possible.  

Zatte understood their predicament even less, as she had been badly injured earlier, and was half-asleep from medication.  As it happened, she managed to wake up at that moment.  

“Whaaa?” she asked as she found herself in a dark cocoon made of Keda’s pliable body.  

“Don’t move!” Keda told her.  "I’m not sure what’s going on, but I’m trying to ride it out!“

After a few seconds, Zatte began to recall the events of the past hour.  "The Recollector,” she groaned.  "What happened–?“

"Something went wrong,” Keda said.  "Well, we didn’t _die_ , so maybe everything turned out all right!  I don’t know.“

"Where’s Luffa?” Zatte asked.  

Keda had almost forgotten about her.  Fortunately, Super Saiyans were never very hard to find.  "I can still sense her _ki_!“ she replied after a moment’s concentration.  "And the Shockmaster too.  They’re still fighting.”

The wind began to pick up, and Keda felt the Recollector’s weight shift.  Just as she wondered if she should try to reach for something else to use as an anchor, she felt a vibration from it.  Then, suddenly, it seemed to cease to exist.   The leg she had looped around its bulk now went completely slack.  

In that moment, Keda had forgotten that the Recollector became intangible when it wasn’t in use, and she had programmed it to go on standby.  It wouldn’t become solid again for a billion years.  As she realized this, the wind became strong enough to roll Keda over, with Zatte inside.  

“What’s happening?” Zatte asked.  

“Hang on!” Keda shouted.  

Keda reached out with her hands, desperately seeking some purchase in the cavern floor, but there was none.  As the wind grew stronger, she noticed that it was becoming more and more difficult to resist the gusts that buffeted her.  A decent-sized rock struck her, and she realized that she had to act quickly before the storm intensified.  Wrapping herself tightly around Zatte’s body, she summoned her _ki_.  

Luffa had given Keda basic martial arts training over a year ago.  Keda was a quick study, and genuinely determined to improve, but she had many other subjects that interested her as well.  Consequently, she had learned a lot of ways to use _ki_ , though she had never spent much time on making herself stronger.  Indeed, _ki_ power was something of a liability for Keda, who was used to relying on shapeshifting and stealth in a crisis.  The downside of _ki_ techniques was that they could be sensed by other, more powerful _ki_ users.  Both she and Zatte had made a point of suppressing their _ki_ during this mission, for example, so as to prevent their enemies from sensing their presence and locating the Recollector.  

But the situation had clearly changed.  The Shockmaster might find her this way, but Keda doubted he would get past Luffa.  Besides, the immediate threat–in her estimation–was this storm.  She had enough power to knock away the debris that came flying at them, and she could fly a short distance, perhaps even far enough to reach the mouth of the cavern.  Zatte was a lot stronger in this regard, and the task would have been much easier if the two of them could work together, but the older Dorlun was in no condition to try.  

In another few seconds, Keda might have made it to safety, but then she felt a strange burning sensation on the part of her body facing the distortion.   She crashed to the cavern floor, still trying to cradle Zatte and soften the landing as much as she could for her.

“Are you all right?” Zatte asked.  

“I don’t know,” Keda admitted.  It was difficult not to panic.  She knew very little about what was happening, or how to survive it.  

“Keda, lemme out of here,” Zatte slurred.  "We can help each other get to the way out.“

Keda didn’t like that idea.  "The radiation, remember?” she asked.  "I felt something a second ago.   It might have been–“

And suddenly Keda was gone.  

Zatte looked around and struggled to make sense of it.   The temporal distortion had collapsed, and the Ur-Ember had vanished along with it.  The Recollector was also gone.  It would indeed survive to complete its program in one billion years, but it would not do so on Extraliga.

The cavern was lit only by the lamps Zatte had set up when she had first come to this place.  Now they were scattered around the cavern floor, and some of them had been smashed.  The ones that still worked showed that the cyclone that had happened here had been real.  Stones dust, and the contents of Zatte’s carryall were strewn everywhere.  But there was no sign of Keda.  

She cried out for her, knowing that it would do no good.  She tried to get to her feet so she could search the cavern, but she was too weak from her injuries.  

So Zatte lay on the cavern floor, and wept bitterly for her lost friend.  

*******

* * *

Locked in combat with the Shockmaster, Luffa sensed Keda’s _ki_ almost immediately.   Keda wasn’t even supposed to be on the planet.  Her very presence was confusing enough, but then the sudden disappearance of Keda’s _ki_ disturbed her even more.  

As she reeled from this development, the Shockmaster managed to catch her with a kick to her ribs that sent her crashing into a field of tall grass.  She hit the ground with enough force to produce a crater.   Before the dust cleared, she was already back up and streaking towards him.  

"What did you do to her?” Luffa demanded.  

“I already told you what would happen to this world when the Ur-Ember arrives,” the Shockmaster growled.  "Whoever it is you’re talking about, her fate will be decided by–“

Luffa slipped under his strikes and slammed her fists into his jaw.  

"What. Did you just.   _Do_?!” Luffa screamed.  She didn’t know what had come over her, but she was so angry that she couldn’t see straight.  She couldn’t sense Zatte’s _ki_ either, but the rest of the planet’s energy was as strong as ever.  Had the two of them saved Extraliga, only to die in the attempt?  The Shockmaster might not know what had happened, but he was unquestionably responsible, and his ignorance only made Luffa angrier.  

“I’ve already done it!” the Shockmaster shouted.  "I’ve summoned the Ur-Ember, and taken the first step to the restoration of Ancient Wist!  Anyone who stood against me, their fate is sealed!“

"Shut up!” Luffa shrieked.  Her vision was just a blur through her tears as she attacked the Shockmaster with reckless abandon.  She made no effort to defend herself, and simply absorbed his attacks while she unloaded on him with everything she had.  

They couldn’t be gone!  They just _couldn’t_ be!  Keda wasn’t even supposed to be here!  She was supposed to be back on Luffasworld, taking care of the ship and waiting for their return.  She was a Dorlun, a survivor, too practical to stick her nose in a situation like this!  

It had to be some kind of trick!  Zatte maybe.  She had the ability to alter her _ki_ to make it resemble others’.  Maybe she had mimicked Keda for a few seconds just to signal that she had achieved her objective.  She should have told Luffa about that ahead of time, but Zatte was like that sometimes.  Among Dorluns, she was a brilliant warrior, but by Saiyan standards, Zatte tended to miss things that Luffa considered obvious.  Like going over signals before heading into a battle.  

No.  Zatte wasn’t nearly so careless.  Something wasn’t _right_.  And it was all!  Because!  Of this!  Gutless oaf of a man!  

“You miserable coward!” she raved.  "You don’t even know what you’ve done!  What you’ve thrown away!“

"Get… back!” the Shockmaster cried.  

“She’s only eleven years old!  She saved my life!   _MY LIFE_!  Like I was a helpless child!   Showed me who I really am!”

Desperately, the Shockmaster tried to attack her with his Four Moves of Doom, despite their previous failure.  But the Thunderbird would not form.  He couldn’t concentrate long enough to pull it together into a coherent form.  He raised his left hand to summon the tendrils of the Lightning Ribbon, and for a moment he managed to wrap them around her body.   For just a moment he  felt safe.  

Then she screamed, and the tendrils of violet energy withered and ripped apart from the pressure of her golden aura.  

******

* * *

What truly terrified the Shockmaster wasn’t the glowing Saiyan howling before him.   It was that he had been counting on the Ur-Ember to arrive on Extraliga and settle the battle for him, and it hadn’t arrived yet.  With each second, he began to wonder if it simply wasn’t coming.  

While Luffa screamed, he used the respite to cast out with his mental abilities and seek out the Recollector, as he had done once before.  But he could not find it.    Someone had shut it off, or removed it from the planet, but this couldn’t have been accomplished while it was retrieving the Ur-Ember.  Had her allies succeeded in stopping it?  No.  No, that was _impossible_ …

But it _was_ possible, wasn’t it?  Luffa had defied his expectations at every turn.  This awful woman had shattered his ambitions in ways he had never imagined.  She had surpassed his might, dismantled his armies, and now she had denied him the Ur-Ember.   She had withstood his most powerful attacks and shattered his helmet, only to awaken his untapped potential, and now she had surpassed that as well.  

 _And she was only becoming stronger_.  Once, he had beaten her effortlessly, but now, his only hope of defeating her was that the Ur-Ember’s radiation would kill her before she could kill him.  But it wasn’t coming.  Ancient Wist wasn’t coming back.  It would never return.  It was all gone.  Forever.  

He couldn’t beat her.  He had been expecting her to tire out, but there seemed to be no end to her stamina.  They had been fighting for over half an hour and she showed no signs of slowing down.  He had hurt her, to be sure, and her breath was as rough and ragged as his own, but she just kept bringing out more and more punishment for him.  

He had no idea what she was so upset about.  The Extraligans?  The rebels back on Planet Wist?  She had won.   Defeated him completely.  Even if he could somehow beat her, it wouldn’t do any good.  Without the Recollector, without the Ur-Ember, his plan was finished.  Even if he retreated, he would never get another opportunity to invade Extraliga and try again.  

He remembered long ago when the Ur-Ember had first been lost.  A vengeful god had destroyed Wist’s moon when he was a boy.  The god had said something about _arrogance_ that day, and he hadn’t known what that word truly meant.  For a time, he had thought the god was the arrogant one for coming to Wist and demanding supplication.  

But now he understood.  He had devoted himself to restoring Wist, to retrieving the Ur-Ember, in defiance of the gods, of time and space, of anything else that would dare stand against him.  But fate had placed in his path this mad Super Saiyan, who opposed him simply because she felt like it.  Fate had made her stronger and more resourceful than he had ever thought possible.  His arrogance had brought him this far, only to be crushed at the very end.  

He had stumbled and fallen, and no matter how quickly he rose to his feet, he could never truly recover what had been lost.  She had been right to call him a coward.  He wanted to run away, but there was nowhere to run.  His homeland no longer existed.  Even if he could escape Luffa, he would never be able to escape himself.   But oh, how he wished he could run away and hide!   He wanted it more than anything.

And so when Luffa finished screaming, and she charged at him at blinding speed, her face twisted into a mask of blind rage, he did nothing to avoid her.  When she raised her left hand, and made it glow with yellow light, he made no move to defend himself.  And when she swung her hand like a battleaxe, aiming for his neck, he merely closed his eyes and wished that things could have been different.  

**NEXT: Why We Survive**


	69. Chapter 69

_**[1 December 236 Before Age, Extraliga]** _

Zatte didn’t know where she was or how she arrived.  Everything was… not _dark_ , but very dim and indistinct.  It was quiet, but not entirely silent. She thought she could hear something nearby, but she could not recognize the sound, or locate its source.

And then she saw the _light_ , a tiny pinpoint that seemed to grow larger.  Without knowing why, she approached it.  As she did, she felt a warmth from the golden radiance, and she knew everything would be all right…

When she was close enough to see the source of the light, she could tell it was a woman.  Surrounded by flames of saffron, the radiant female held out her hand to Zatte, inviting her to take it.

Zatte accepted this unspoken offer.  She didn’t know why, and for some reason she vaguely recalled something being wrong with her hands, but when she looked she could see nothing out of the ordinary.  Everything was fine, even if she didn’t understand.  She placed her hand in the woman’s, and smiled.

And then the woman shouted an obscenity, and everything went white.

*******

* * *

Zatte found herself lying in a field by the side of an asphalt road.  She sat up and looked around to find that her surroundings were familiar, but different.  She had been here before, although ‘here’ was wasn’t really a _place_ at all.

Across the road was a roadside bar, or rather, what was left of it.  The building looked as if it had burned down recently.  The roof had mostly collapsed, supported only by what remained of two walls.    Under the light of a lonely streetlamp, she could recognize certain architectural features in the ruins, but these had all been blackened with soot.

In her quest to save the people of Extraliga, Zatte had entered into a telepathic link with three aliens from the other side of the galaxy.  This ‘place’ had served as a common reference point for their minds, allowing them to share information without being overwhelmed by the flow of abstract thought.  But the roadhouse had never looked like this before.  Also, whenever she visited it, she had been aware of her physical self in the real world.  That was no longer so, and she didn’t know what that meant.

“I don’t know what it means either.  I kind of screwed up here.”

Zatte turned to find she was no longer alone.   It was the woman from before, now standing beside her, still glowing as brightly as ever.  Only this time, Zatte recognized her.

“Luffa,” she blurted out.

Just saying her wife’s name made Zatte feel better.   Zatte’s people, the Dorluns, were a race of survivalists, but Luffa was the Legendary Super Saiyan, the ultimate warrior of a tribe of warriors.  She didn’t just survive, she _conquered_.  More importantly, Zatte believed her to be a _xan-nil’Dor_ , a pivotal figure who would do great things for the universe.  She had seen Luffa defeated and humbled, and trapped, but she had also seen her overcome those circumstances with the fiery will of a Saiyan.   Whatever was happening here, Luffa would figure it out.  As long as they were together, Zatte knew she was safe, and that they would prevail.

“I’m glad to see you too, Zattie,” Luffa said.  “What do you remember?”

“I was in the cavern trying to stop the Recollector,” Zatte said.  "I tried to alter its power flow, but I got hit with some kind of feedback… My hands…“

She looked at her palms and found nothing wrong with them, but she could remember having looked at them before, and finding second degree burns.  She also remembered a pain that radiated almost all the way up to her shoulders.

"I found you in the cavern and took you to a hospital,” Luffa said.  "There was some nerve damage, but the doctors told me they could get that fixed up.  Same deal with your hands.  The bad news is that you went into a coma.“

"How long was I out?” Zatte asked.

“You’re _still_ out, Zattie,” Luffa explained.  "The doctors on Extraliga didn’t know enough about Dorlun brains to bring you out of it.  We brought Dr. Topsas in to help, but he’s stumped too.  So I tried to use my mental powers to see what I could do for you.“

"But you’ve linked minds with me before,” Zatte said.  "It was nothing like _this_.  You would touch me and I would suddenly… _know_ things.“

She didn’t know how to put that experience into words.  "Beautiful” was the only one that really came to mind, and that hardly explained anything.  The flow of thoughts between Luffa and Zatte was abstract, while Scotch Woodcock’s telepathic conference imitated the real world.  All the participants had psychic avatars, with imaginary scenery and imaginary props for them to interact with.  

Luffa rubbed her chin and shifted her weight to one foot, which seemed out of character for the glowing, golden avatar Zatte now saw.   She wondered if this gleaming image represented Luffa’s self-image, or Zatte’s perception of her.  

“Probably both,” Luffa said.   “My only guess is that potion you took to receive Woodcock’s psychic signal is still in your system.”

She turned to look at the wreckage, and Zatte couldn’t help but admire the way her luminescent skin contrasted with the night sky, highlighting her every move.  Then she saw Luffa scratch her butt, the way she often did when she paused to recite a recipe in the middle of cooking dinner.    

“You lost contact with him, but your mind is still wired for his kind of telepathy,” Luffa said.  “Dammit, I should have called Woodcock before I tried this.  I _thought_ I had this mental stuff figured out, but I don’t have a clue.”

“You’re saying you can’t bring me out of it?” Zatte asked.

“I’m saying I can’t bring _us_ out of it,” Luffa said.  "I lost all awareness of my real body when I first made contact with you.  Right now, you’re lying in a hospital bed, and I’m probably slumped over you, with my hand still touching your face.“

"Now _there’s_ a dignified image,” Zatte said with a chuckle.

“Dammit, Zattie, this is serious,” Luffa said.

“I’m sorry,” she said.  "It’s just… you look so _glorious_ right now, like a museum painting, only you’re still moving and talking like you do in the real world.  It’s funny.“

Luffa glanced down at herself, apparently for the first time since she arrived.   “Why the hell do I look like _this_?” she asked.  “I don’t need to be transformed to read your mind.  And my scars are gone.   Wait, where are my gloves?”

Her eyes went wide and she looked back at Zatte, apparently seeing her for the first time as well.  “Why the hell are we _nude_?” she yelled.  

Zatte glanced down and noticed she was right.    She looked back up at Luffa and shrugged.

*******

* * *

Eventually, the scenery around them shifted, and Zatte and Luffa found themselves in an idyllic woodland near a babbling brook.  It was similar to planets they had both visited in the past, but it didn’t quite match up to any of them.  Unlike the roadhouse, it was daytime in the woodland, though there had been no sunrise or other transition to indicate the passage of time.

"You don’t have to be so tense, Luffa,” Zatte said as they walked along the bank of the stream.  “There’s no one else here but you and me.”

Gradually, Luffa’s appearance had changed to resemble something closer to reality.   Her hair was black again, and the fur on her tail was brown.  Her clothing and scars, however, had not returned, and there was still a golden aura that radiated around her.  

“You said Ensign Liberty’s costume was different when you saw her in the roadhouse,” Luffa said, desperate to focus on the problem.  

“She’d been studying a lot of Wistian records,” Zatte said.  When I met her in person, her suit was blue, white, and red, but in the roadhouse, it was black and silver, like the colors worn by Wistian soldiers.  She seemed to think she was absorbing some of their culture, and that was why her psychic avatar was different.”

“Uh-huh.  What about Tobiko,” Luffa asked.  

“He looked like a young Wistian man,” Zatte said.  “Golden skin… handsome, I suppose.  But he said that was only how he used to look before he was disfigured by a curse.”

“But you _were_ all wearing clothes, right?” Luffa asked.  

“No, we all stripped down and had an orgy,” Zatte grumbled.  “ _Of course_ we were wearing clothes.”

“Then why don’t _we_ have any clothes on _now_?” Luffa asked.  

“I don’t know, probably because we haven’t seen each other in a few weeks,” Zatte said.  She reached out and took Luffa’s arm in her own.   “Why don’t we find a nice place to sit, and you can tell me all about how you beat the Shockmaster and saved Extraliga.”  

“There’s nothing to tell,” Luffa said with a snort.  “Once he realized the Ur-Ember wouldn’t show up like he planned, he completely gave up.  It was like he lost the will to live.”

“What about his invasion force?” Zatte suggested.  

“Mostly mercenaries and conscripts,” Luffa said.  “They were demoralized from the start.  Once they realized their leader was dead, they couldn’t wait to surrender.”   She turned her head to Zatte and smiled.  “But _they_ were the second string.   The real meat of the Shockmaster’s military was the bunch he sent in the _first_ invasion, and _you_ took care of them months ago.”

Zatte liked the pride Luffa put behind the word ‘ _you_ ’.  “That spot looks good,” she said, pointing to a patch of grass ahead of them.  “We’ll get comfortable, and you can tell me more about it.”

“I already _told_ you everything,” Luffa said sharply.   “The Shockmaster’s dead, and Extraliga’s secure.   There’s nothing else to say.”

Zatte stepped ahead of Luffa and walked backwards while she took her hands in her own.  “Well that’s fine,” she said, batting her eyelashes.   “I wasn’t in the mood to tallk anyway, so we can just skip straight to–”

“ _This is hardly the time!_ ” Luffa growled.   “You’re in a _coma_ , Zattie.  I’m _trying_ to bring you out of it.”

“Well, I don’t _feel_ like I’m in a coma,” Zatte countered.  “I feel pretty great actually.   The sun is shining, you’re here, and this is a beautiful place.  It reminds me of stories about the Dorlun origin-world.”    

“It probably _is_ the Dorlun origin-world,” Luffa said.  “Or at least what you think it must have looked like.   Everything we see and do here has to be conjured up from our imaginations.  It’s just like Woodcock’s roadhouse, only neither of us knows how to control it.”

Zatte tugged on Luffa’s hands, trying to lead her to the patch of grass she had picked out.  When she wouldn’t budge, Zatte leaned in and kissed her on the lips instead.  Luffa resisted for a moment, and if she truly wanted to reject Zatte’s advances, she could have shoved her away with the slightest fraction of her immense power.   That was part of the thrill of being with her.

But Zatte knew her wife, and she knew something about how her Saiyan mental powers worked, and how they had used them in the past in quiet moments of intimacy.   And so when Luffa pulled her closer and returned the kiss, Zatte wasn’t terribly surprised.  

“We can _stay_ ,” Zatte whispered into her ear.   She ran her hand up the back of Luffa’s neck, working her fingers through the short, thick hair on the back of her scalp.  

“I have to get you back,” Luffa murmured.  

“Back to _what_?” Zatte asked.   “We won the war.   We did our part, _xan-nil’Dor_.  I always wanted to burn for you and now I have.”

“Zatte, I’m honored, but I never wanted you to suffer because of me…”

“I just wanted to share in your cause, become part of what you stand for.  And now we’re stuck like this, lost in each other’s minds.   Maybe this is heaven.  I mean, we can have anything we want here.  _Be_ anything we want…”

*******

* * *

Somehow, the world around them changed again, and Zatte clapped her hands excitedly when she recognized the scene.  

It was a desolate wasteland under a twilight sky, and the first stars were just beginning to appear.  A large campfire roared behind her, and standing in front of her was Luffa, now clad in various copper jewelry and ornaments, none of which really constituted “clothing” in any meaningful sense. For her part, Zatte was adorned in strings of beads, all colored vivid shades ranging from blue to green.

“There’s an old myth about how the Dorlun who first learned to smelt copper from ore,” Zatte explained.   “She would make ornaments from malachite and azurite she found while her tribe searched for nuggets of native copper.   They were pretty, but they served no real purpose, and her village cast her out for what they saw as vanity.”

“Copper?” Luffa asked as she looked at one of her bracelets.  

“Yeah, it’s not much harder than rock, but you can mold it into shapes more easily and make better tools with it,” Zatte explained.   “You can find it lying on the ground in certain places, but she was wasting time picking up useless rocks because they were pretty, so they kicked her out.”

“What happened to her?” Luffa asked with a skeptical look in her eye.

“She was all alone in the wilderness, when this mountain spirit shows an interest in her beads and she offers to teach her smelting in exchange.  That way she could produce far more copper than what the tribe could find on the ground.  The Dorlun agreed, so the spirit whisked her away to this place, where she spent three days and nights teaching her the secret.”

“Were _they_ naked too?” Luffa asked flatly.  

“Probably not,” Zatte said with a shrug.  “But I always liked to embellish it a little in my head.  Make it into a romance.  The moral of the story is about how resources aren’t always in plain sight, but I liked the way the heroine was an outsider to her people, but still made a contribution.”

Luffa waved her hand at the scene around them, and became annoyed with the way the baubles clinked and jingled as she moved.  “You _made_ all this happen?” she asked. “Deliberately, I mean?”

“I didn’t exactly plan it out,” Zatte said.  “It just popped into my mind and then it appeared.”

“Then maybe we’ve got a chance,” Luffa said.  “If we work _together_ , we can will ourselves out of this.  Maybe we just need more practice…”

“Why bother?” Zatte asked.   She threw out her hands, then gestured back to herself.  “Luffa, there’s nothing for us out there.  Here, we have _each other_ , and anything else we want.”

********

* * *

Luffa flinched as the scene changed again.  This time they were in some sort of courtyard, surrounded by ivy and marble statues.  Zatte was reclining on a stone bench, leisurely eating a piece of fruit.

“What story is _this_ from?” Luffa asked.  

“A photograph I saw once in a magazine,” Zatte replied.  “I just decided I wanted to lie down, and we didn’t have any seats where we were before.”

She did her best to strike a seductive pose and took another bite of her fruit.  Under different circumstances, Luffa might have been duly seduced by this, but she was beginning to lose her patience.

“You see, Luffa?” Zatte said.   “This is paradise.  What more can you ask for?”

Luffa glared at her.  “Some paradise,” she grumbled.  “A lot of pretty scenery and some art.  The dress code’s pretty lax, so that’s a plus.  But to a _Saiyan_ , it’s nothing more than a prison.  I’ve got a nice cellmate, but I had you _out there_ too, remember?”  

*******

* * *

The scene changed again, and Luffa and Zatte were standing in a cozy apartment for two.   Luffa was sitting at a desk in front of a pile of bills and an adding machine, and Zatte was holding a rolling pin in her left hand while she wagged her index finger of her right.

“The universe was a prison, too, Luffa,” Zatte replied.  “Don’t give me that _‘I need a good fight’_ routine, buster.”

Luffa could hear people laughing, but there was no sign of anyone else.   She made a confused face and glanced at one of the apartment walls, and the laughter came once again.

“As a Super Saiyan, you don’t have anyone to give you a proper challenge,” Zatte went on.   The audience giggled.  “You thought the Shockmaster was a worthy adversary, but now he’s gone and you’re just as unsatisfied as before.”

“So I should _retire_?  Is that it?” Luffa shot back.  Again, the sound of laughter.  Luffa snarled at them, but they only laughed more.

********

* * *

Now they were on either side of a food cart on a lonely suburban street in the early evening.   Luffa was serving a stew of fishcakes, boiled eggs, and vegetables to Zatte, who sat on a stool.  

“I’m saying the things you want don’t exist out there,” Zatte said as she took a swig from her beverage.  “You have no rival, your wife’s in a coma, and your son is gone.  You can’t even chase after revenge because you already gotten it.  So what’s left?”

“What _is_ left, Zattie?” Luffa asked.  “You want me to hang around and keep you company, offering me whatever I like, but so far I’m not seeing a lot that strikes my fancy.”

Zatte leaned against the counter of the food cart and swished her drink around.   “I know, I know.   My darling wife wants a good fight.   I know just the thing…”

*******

* * *

They were standing in the front lawn of a large mansion.   Women of various alien species were engaged in various activities.  Some of them mowed the grass, others trimmed the hedges, and some were engaged in calisthenics.   With no small amount of envy, Luffa noted that all of _them_ had clothes on.

“Where the hell are we now?” she growled at Zatte.  

“Beats me,” Zatte said with a shrug.  “It’s your story.”

Before Luffa could demand an explanation, a man’s voice called out to them.  They turned and found him approaching with a female companion hanging onto each arm.  

“Hail, fair maidens!” he bellowed.  “I was not expecting visitors this day, but my mood is too bright to turn _anyone_ away from my retreat!  And aye, your figures _are_ comely enough, at that.  Perhaps I could interest you in… _tarrying_ a season or two, eh?”

Luffa was shocked when she recognized him.   He was tall, powerfully built, with black hair, dark eyes,  and pale, freckled skin.   There were scars on his bare chest and arms, but Luffa noticed that he, too, had at least some clothes to wear: white pantaloons, a pair of bracers, and a golden diadem on his forehead.  He looked just like the statue on Bigreen, and the action figure Zatte had commissioned for Luffa as a wedding present.   In spite of her predicament, Luffa grinned excitedly.  

“Chanisp,” she said with a nod of respect.  “The Legendary Super Saiyan.”

He gave a hearty laugh and the women at his sides tittered with glee.   “You know me!” he said.  “Ah, but that should come as no surprise from a fellow Saiyan.  I, er, hadn’t noticed your tail until just now.”  

“You were too _distracted_ , is that it?”  Luffa snorted as she pointed her thumb towards Zatte.  “The cyclops tore off all my clothes.”

Chanisp laughed again, only louder and longer.  “Is that so?” he said to Zatte.  “Well, I admire boldness, blue one, and if you have the courage, I would invite you to join me for dinner, and afterward, you might manage to denude two Saiyans in one afternoon!”

Zatte smiled cordially.  “One’s enough for me, thanks, but I think my wife might like to have a moment alone with you.”

“Ahhhh, so that’s what this is about,” he said.  “A formal challenge, is it?  Well, come ahead, little Saiyaness.   Let us battle to the content of our savage hearts–”

Luffa struck him before he could finish, knocking him high into the air.  With a contented growl, she leaped after him.  

*******

* * *

Their battle was everything Luffa had ever dreamed of and more.  Most Saiyans would have been bitter or resentful to see her true power unleashed, but Chanisp was thrilled.  It was as much of a joy for him to fight another Super Saiyan as it was for her.  

She estimated that she had a slight edge in power, but it was _very_ slight.   It would take her _hours_ to defeat him, and that was assuming he didn’t have some trick up his sleeve to beat _her_.   Of course, he _had_ invited them to stay for a while, so she could always ask for a rematch in the morning.  

Every move he made was crisp and sure, forcing her to be at least as good as she’d ever been.    She could almost _feel_ herself becoming a stronger fighter as they battled.  This wasn’t some pretender like her father, or a trickster like Hamey, or an overpowered megalomaniac like the Shockmaster.  Chanisp was everything she wanted in an opponent.  Best of all, she could tell he felt the same way about her.  

“I’d long dreamed of facing Old Darbock in a match like this,” he said as they deflected each other’s blows.   “I should have known that one of my descendants would prove a more stimulating challenge!”

“Too bad we can’t invite Darbock to join us,” Luffa said with a smirk.  “With the two of you working together, it might actually be a fair fight!”

“Hah!  Why stop there, woman?” Chanisp laughed.  “Gather all our yellow-maned ilk together and let us fight a war to end all wars!”

“Fine by me, old man!” Luffa said.  “And the losers cook dinner for the winner!”

“Ah, mind your pride, daughter of Chanisp!   You might win the battle but lose the war.  I may be a brilliant fighter, but my husband will tell you that I am a miserable cook.”

“Wait, what?”

She was distracted enough that he should have landed an easy punch to her jaw, but instead his fist slid straight past her, barely clipping the edge of her ear.  She immediately backed away to a safe distance and regarded him carefully.  

“I said my husband loathes my cooking,” Chanisp said.  “Not unjustifiably, though he does grant that I make up for it in… _other_ respects.”

“You’re into men?” Luffa asked.  

“Profoundly.”

“But the harem back there… that lady mowing your lawn…”

“Mine is an… open marriage. I admit most Saiyans wouldn’t approve.” There was a sheepish look on his face that quickly turned into a confident smirk.   “Fortunately, there is very little _most_ Saiyans can do about it.”

“Okay, fine,” Luffa said,  “but the stories about you never said you were bisexual.”  

He shrugged.  “More fool the storytellers.   They must have blanched at the full extent of my bedroom exploits.  Alas, you, the younger generation, have been cursed to toil in ignorance.”

“Maybe so, but that’s not what’s going on here,” Luffa said.  “A bi Super Saiyan, well _I’m_ proof it can happen.  Honestly, the harem was the part I always had trouble buying into.  I mean, it _sounded_ cool, but I could never imagine a Saiyan having that many lovers all at once.  And you _missed_ with that punch a minute ago.  My mother could have tagged me with that one, and she’s been dead for years.”

“Quite so.  Shall I try again?”

Luffa shook her head.   “I think you’re only bisexual because of wishful thinking on my part.   I looked up to you my whole life, and I liked the idea that I could cook and you couldn’t.  Y’know, to give myself an edge on you.   And I liked the idea of you being bisexual because it gave us something in common.  Uh, this was before I got my hair to do the thing.”

“Of course.”

“And you look just like the statue I saw on Bigreen.  Not even a little bit different.  And you fight just well enough to keep me entertained, but you can’t actually _beat me_ , can you?”

“That,” he boasted, “remains to be seen, proud one.”

“I don’t think so,” Luffa said.   “I knew none of this was real, but when I saw you I managed to let myself buy into it.  I mean, when will I ever get a chance to fight Chanisp again?  But you’re not really _him_ , are you?  Fighting you is no more satisfying than fighting a daydream.  At least the Shockmaster had a mind of his own.”

“Indeed,” Chanisp said.  “Then it _would_ be pointless to continue. I fear that I have nothing more to offer you, unless you wish to avail yourself of my consorts.”

“Uh, thanks,” Luffa said, “but that’s basically the same problem.   _None of this_ is real.  I’m here to get my wife back to reality, but she won’t cooperate.   She wants to stay in this fantasy.  She wants me to stay with her.”

“Perhaps,” Chanisp suggested,  “in her heart, she knows she _must_ leave, though she desperately wishes it were not so.   She holds you here not to imprison you, but so that you will help her to face what she cannot bear to face alone.”

“I don’t know how to convince her,” Luffa said.  “Here, she can do whatever she likes.   Even if I could leave by myself, she knows I’d never abandon her to this.  All she’s got waiting for her in the outside world is a lot of pain.”

“Do you love her, daughter of Chanisp?” he asked.  

The directness of the question bothered her, but she took a deep breath and answered him honestly.   “I never thought I’d love anyone again after the way my last marriage ended.  She’d do anything for me.  She believes in me and it pushes me to do better.  No Saiyan could ask for a better wife.”

Chanisp nodded.  “You don’t want to hurt her.”

“ _Of course not_.   What kind of _stupid question_ is that?”

He pointed his thumb at his broad chest and stuck out his chin.  “Do the stories tell, Luffa, how mighty Chanisp _became_ a Super Saiyan?”

“They do,” Luffa said.  “You lost your tail to a demon, and you had to _train_ to beat him, all by yourself,  without the ability to turn into a giant ape.  The way to your revenge was long and hard, but eventually, you got so strong that…”

“ _Pfah!_  Is that what they say about me?   Is that how it happened for _you_ , Luffa?”  Chanisp pointed at his glowing yellow hair, then at his cold green eyes.   Did you become _this_ * through _training_?”

“ _No_.”

“Then how did I do it, girl?   Tell me.”

Luffa set her jaw and her eyes widened.  “You _suffered_ ,” she said.    “Suffered until you couldn’t _stand it_ anymore.  And then…!”

“And then,” Chanisp said knowingly.    “Now it your woman who must suffer if she is to move forward.  She will not change into some unstoppable monster like us, but she will still be richer for the experience, in spite of its agony.   You seek to spare her the pain, Luffa.   But you know there is no other way for her to grow.   It is the way of the universe, and not even legends may change it.”

Luffa considered this for a moment, then shut her eyes tightly and nodded.  “I know what I have to do.    Thank you, old man.”  

He raised his hand in silent tribute.   She flew back to Zatte, and never looked back.

*******

* * *

Luffa found herself indoors suddenly.  It was a restaurant, one that she recognized.  

“The pub we went to on Extraliga,” Zatte said.  She was sitting at the same table where they had eaten that night.  If not for the nudity, Luffa might have thought she had been thrown back in time.  

“I wanted to come here after the war,” Luffa said, walking up to the table.  Instead of sitting beside Zatte, she took a seat opposite her, and looked her square in the eye.  “To celebrate.”

“Well, here we are,” Zatte said.  “How did it go with Chanisp.  You must have enjoyed yourself.  You haven’t even powered down.”

“That _wasn’t_ Chanisp,” Luffa said.  “It was just a figment of my imagination.”  

“Well, of course it was,” Zatte said.  “That doesn’t mean you couldn’t have fun fighting him.”  She slid a plate of appetizers across the table to her.   “Try the frog’s legs.  They’re really good with this sauce–”

Luffa swatted the entire plate with enough force to send it across the room.  

“What’s your problem?” Zatte asked.  

“I used to see Chanisp differently when I was a kid.  I believed he was the strongest Saiyan of all time, and that he couldn’t transform.   When _I_ transformed, I thought there was something wrong with me, until I saw a statue of Chanisp that proved he had the same ability as me.”

She raised her hands and glanced down at the yellow aura rippling across them.  “That’s how I learned not to be ashamed of this form.” 

“I’ve heard this story,” Zatte said.  “That was why I got you that doll, remember?”

Luffa squinted and clenched her fists.  “First of all, _Zattie_ , that’s an action figure.  Saiyans don’t _play_ with _dolls_.”

“Whatever you say, dear.”

“Second of all, I only appreciated that gift because I thought you understood what that moment meant to me.  Maybe I was wrong.”

“And what don’t I understand?” Zatte scoffed.  

“That adversity is what makes us grow,” Luffa said.   “I didn’t want to lose my son, or to turn into this _thing_.  I wanted to run away from it, pretend it hadn’t happened, but I was only deceiving myself.   That statue of Chanisp proved it.  Once I realized he had been through the same hardships, I knew I could face them too.”

“And you did,” Zatte said.  “So, do you want to order an entree, or–?”

Luffa pounded the table with her fist and broke it in half.  She kicked half of it onto the floor and tossed the other half over her shoulder.  

“We’re leaving this place,” Luffa said.  

“Why bother?”  Zatte asked.  “What’s waiting for either of us in the real world?   See if you can tell me without breaking anything this time.”

“I don’t know.   But I won’t find out by staying here,” Luffa said.  “I refuse to _cower_ inside your mind while we both wait for your body to die off.”

“Oh, _I’m_ the coward?” Zatte said.  

“I didn’t say that,” Luffa shot back.  “I’d _never_ say that.”

“Weren’t _you_ the one who broke free of the Black Water Mist’s spell, only you waited a month to do it because you liked it better than facing _your_ pain?”

“That’s _low_ , Zattie,” Luffa snarled.  

“You didn’t mind wallowing in _that_ daydream for a while, did you?” Zatte asked.  “Only that wasn’t a daydream.  It was real.   _I_ didn’t have a choice, but _you_ could have snapped out of it whenever you pleased.”

“I know,” Luffa said.  “And I regret that it took me so long.  I was _weak_ , and you had to suffer for my weakness.  I’m sorry.”

Zatte seemed caught off-guard by her apology.  “I… I know it was hard for you,” she said, trying to walk back what she had just said.  

“I know this is hard for you,” Luffa replied.   “That’s why I’m trying to help you now.  Not just for you, or for me.  For _her_.”

Zatte started breathing rapidly.   “Please don’t,” she begged.  “Luffa, please…”

“It was _Keda_ who showed me that statue of Chanisp,” Luffa said.  “She saved me from the Tikosi, and then she helped me accept what I had become.  I can never repay her, but I _can_ honor her memory by helping you.”

“Stop it!” Zatte shouted.  

“You couldn’t stop the Recollector, could you?” Luffa began.  “You tried, but your injuries were too severe.  That’s when Keda stepped in and helped you, didn’t she?”

Zatte slid out of her chair and onto the floor.   She wrapped her arms around Luffa’s legs.  “ _Don’t make me remember this_ ,” Zatte whimpered.  “I’m _begging_ you.  I’ll do anything else, but not this.”

Luffa wanted to stop, but she knew better.  That was why she remained in her Super Saiyan form.  Perhaps it made no difference, especially in an imaginary world created from their joined minds.   But the golden form was a reminder of her debt to Keda, and of Zatte’s devotion to Luffa’s cause.  It seemed appropriate.  

“You were badly hurt in the cavern,” Luffa said.  “And then Keda showed up and tried to stop the Recollector, picking up where you left off.  But something went wrong.   Her plan worked, but there was something she didn’t expect.”

Zatte was silent, and she kept her face turned away.

“Please tell me what happened to her,” Luffa said.  “You’re the only one who knows, and… she was my friend.”

“Some kind of storm,” Zatte sobbed.   “She shielded me with her own body, and then she tried to use her _ki_ to move us out of  the cavern.  Then, she was just… gone.”

The words hit Luffa harder than she had expected.  Maybe it would have been easier if Keda had fallen to a living enemy, or if she had left a body behind.  Maybe it didn’t matter.

Luffa took Zatte by the shoulders and lifted her up gently.  “It’s okay, Zattie… It’s okay.”  

Zatte struck her face.  

“Why wouldn’t you just let me _forget_?!” Zatte screamed.  “I’m the _last one_.   I tried to defend the colony on Dorlu Prime, and they all died except for me and Keda, and now Keda’s _gone_.  I’m the only one left.  I could have just withered away here, and died peacefully in my sleep, and that… that’d be the end of it.”

“I wanted to _let_ you forget,” Luffa said as she held Zatte close.  “I guess that’s why it took me so long to bring her up.   I was hoping you’d talk about it when you were ready.  But I couldn’t let you stay this way.   It’s _because_ you’re the last one, Zattie.  Someone has to carry on, right?   Someone has to find other Dorluns out there and tell them what happened.”

“It’s my fault,” Zatte wailed.  “She never would have come to Extraliga if I hadn’t taken on the mission.  She was worried that I’d screw up and that’s exactly what I did.”

“No,” Luffa said.  “It’s _my_ fault.    If I’d trained more, gotten just a little stronger, I could have crushed the Shockmaster before he ever had the chance to _use_ the Recollector.   Then you never would have gotten hurt, and Keda never would have gotten involved.”  

Zatte looked up at her with an astonished expression.  “You did _everything you could_ out there, Luffa,” she insisted.   “I know you.  You gave it your best, and nothing less.”

“So did you,” Luffa said.  “Our best just wasn’t good enough to save Keda.   It hurts.  It hurts a lot.  But we have to use that to motivate ourselves to get better.”

Zatte nodded slowly.   “And we can’t do that here.   Luffa, I’m sorry. I’ve been such a fool.”

“No,” Luffa said.  “You just had a moment of weakness, that’s all.   After what happened to you, it’s understandable.   I know the feeling better than I like to admit.”    

“How do we get back?” Zatte asked.  

“I’m not sure yet, but now that you _want_ to go back, I think I can figure it out from here,” Luffa said.  “Are you ready to go?”

“Yeah,” Zatte said.  “I’ve wasted enough time as it is.”

“You know, before we leave, we could probably imagine Keda here with us,” Luffa suggested.   “Well, I’d want to rustle up some clothes before we try that.  I mean, it wouldn’t really be her, but it’d give us a chance to say goodbye.”

“No,” Zatte said.  “I know a better way to do that.”

********

* * *

_**[16 December, 236 Before Age.  Luffasworld]** _

Luffasworld was officially deserted once again.   For a time, Luffa had used it as her private training ground, with her companions taking up temporary residence, and various envoys and advisers coming and going as she planned the defense of Extraliga.  Following the Shockmaster’s demise, they began to take their leave one by one, until all that remained was Luffa’s star-yacht, the _Emerald Eye_.    Now, it too was preparing to break orbit and set course for other worlds.  

As Luffa wandered the decks of her ship, she couldn’t help but note how empty it felt.  It was a pleasure ship, intended to accommodate dozens of passengers in luxurious fashion, but under Luffa’s ownership it had rarely had more than six people aboard at any given time.  For months, it had just been herself and Keda.  Neither of them had really cared that they were running an empty ship together, but somehow Keda’s death made the emptiness more profound.

Dr. Topsas had chosen to remain on Extraliga to help those wounded in the war.   From there, he had made arrangements to visit family elsewhere.  Luffa wished he didn’t have to go, though she had taken up too much of his time as it was.  She would keep in touch with him– and Wampaaan’riix and Dewbie– but for the time being she felt relieved.  For now, it seemed better to have her friends at a safe distance from whatever trouble she would encounter next.  

She ended her tour off the ship with the bridge, which Keda had used as her personal quarters.  Her sleeping bag and personal effects were still clustered together along one edge of the deck.  A few empty soda bottles and food wrappers were lying there as well.  Eventually, Luffa would have to pick it all up and decide what to throw away and what to keep in storage.  But not today.   Probably not tomorrow, either.   Eventually.  

Zatte was at one of the bridge stations, manually entering the Dorlun Survival Code into the subspace radio.  It was a simple message, so short and inconspicuous that most beings who received it would dismiss it as noise.     But every  Dorlun was taught to recognize it, and to send the same transmission for anyone else of their kind to receive.    It wasn’t a distress call, but rather an assurance to anyone listening.   “I am safe, and can render assistance if you need it.  Please respond.”

The code could be easily programmed and set to auto-repeat on an unused frequency.  Keda had been doing this on Luffa’s ship for as long as she had been aboard.   Zatte had been the only Dorlun to respond, but Keda had never given up the hope that they could find other Dorluns someday.  

Now, Zatte was entering it manually, over and over again, for several hours at a time.  The Dorluns were survivalists.  They spared little effort for the dead, since it only took vital resources from the living.  Zatte’s vigil was one of the closest things they had to a mourning ritual.  It was a way to acknowledge the dead while asserting one’s own survival.  

They nodded at each other as their eyes met, and Zatte returned to her work.  The ship had already been programmed to break orbit and fly itself automatically to their next destination, but Luffa wanted to double-check the readouts on the bridge as a precaution.  

The Saiyans had no funerary customs whatsoever.  Keda had died _trying_ , which to Luffa’s people was the best possible way to die.   If there had been a body, Luffa might have buried Keda.  If Keda had wanted the publicity, Luffa would have arranged for her to receive some posthumous award for her heroism.   But there was no body to inter, nor public knowledge of her actions.  Luffa rather liked that somehow.  Keda went out in a blaze of glory, leaving nothing behind but the results of her bravery.  

In her grief, Luffa found that she had difficulty controlling her transformations, a problem she hadn’t had in almost two years.  She would be in her normal state one moment, then flash into Super Saiyan without warning.   She decided to put that to use.  Lacking a mourning custom of her own, she decided to invent one, and tried to hold her Super Saiyan form for as long as she could until exhaustion forced her to change back.  

“How long?” Zatte asked as Luffa sat down beside her.  

“Eight hours,” Luffa replied.  “Give or take.”

“Good job,” Zatte said.    She didn’t look in Luffa’s direction, since that would mean catching a glimpse of Keda’s things on the far side of the bridge.  They both tried to avoid looking at it anymore than they needed to.   Instead, Zatte reached out and placed her hand on Luffa’s forearm and squeeed it gently.  “You’re not counting the minutes?”

“Nah.    You know, Keda used to turn herself orange with her shapeshifting powers,” Luffa said.  “Then she’d see how long she could stay that way.   One time she lasted twenty straight days.  Just to see if she could.”

“You think you can stay Super Saiyan for that long?” Zatte asked.  

“I’d like to give it  a shot,” Luffa said.  “Only way to find out, right?”

For the first time in days, Zatte smiled.  

**NEXT:  Self-Help.**


	70. Chapter 70

_**[4 February 234 Before Age.  Shafulb.]** _

Drang Dedruhn was the supreme authority on the planet Shafulb, but not really.

She was a plump humanoid, with lustrous skin that was black on her back and head, and white from her jaw down the front of her torso.  The Shafulb were a semi-aquatic species, each possessing a healthy layer of blubber, but she was a bit rounder and more voluptuous than most.  Her office afforded her what was known as a “pontifical apartment”, a very humble term for what was in reality a penthouse suite.    Here, she lounged on a divan on the balcony overlooking the seaside, and savored a midday snack of pickled fish.  Between bites, she would lick the brine from her thick, flipper-like fingers, and contemplate her place in galactic history.    Despite her lofty titles, she had to admit that her position was tentative at best.

In the strictest sense, she was merely the high priestess of the planet’s largest religion, no more than a humble spiritual leader.  In practice, her office had outlasted and overshadowed every secular administration and institution in Shafulb’s history.  Regimes rose and fell, but the church endured, and the people came to depend upon it more with each century.  Long before Drang’s ascension, the office of high priestess had become indistinguishable from that of a temporal head of state.  Her vows precluded her from violence, but she had waged countless wars against the other regional powers in Shafulb’s sector of the galaxy.  She had sworn an oath of poverty, but in practice this meant that she had to employ some creative bookkeeping rather than deny herself any worldly pleasures.  Her sole duty was supposed to be safeguarding the souls of her followers for their passage into the afterlife, but she spent most of her time consolidating her power and riding herd over various bureaucracies.  She was supposed to be the most fervent believer in the state religion, but a life in the political arena had made her cynical and pragmatic.

As for her supposed ’supremacy’, it was superseded by the compromises she had made with the rest of the universe.    She had been locked in rivalries with other planets for decades, making and breaking alliances, fighting wars to jockey for position, and negotiating treaties to hold whatever gains she could make.  And then Luffa changed everything.

Luffa was a Saiyan mercenary, but she was more powerful than any Drang had ever encountered.  No one was sure what had happened to her, but the rumors said that she fought some terrible battle in a remote part of the galaxy, and was transformed by the experience.  Saiyans were incredibly strong to begin with, but Luffa had the power to transform herself into an even stronger, more violent creature.  She called herself a _“Super Saiyan”_ , and while Drang had once dismissed this as a marketing ploy, she soon learned that Luffa wasn’t like the others of her race.  Where other Saiyans saw mercenary work as an enjoyable way to make a living, Luffa grew bored with it.  The wars Drang waged for Shafulb were mere child’s play for Luffa, so one day she changed the game.  Luffa arranged a summit with Drang and the other regional leaders, and coerced them to form an alliance backed by Luffa’s immense power.

The Federation became a great success, as other worlds rushed to join eager to reap the benefits of a mutual defense pact underwritten by an invincible warrior.  Drang and the other leaders retained their authority over their own worlds, and they managed to cooperate well enough to run the Federation, but there was no mistaking who the real power was.

Luffa’s motives were as simple as they were baffling to Drang.    The Saiyan had no interest in _ruling_ the Federation worlds.  She was content to act as an enforcer, protecting the alliance from outside threats, and stepping in to resolve internal disputes.  In short, Luffa had the power to bend multiple planets to her will, yet she continually declined to do so.

This irritated Drang greatly.  She rather liked Luffa personally, but the Saiyan’s lack of political aspirations was vexing.  To have so much power and so little use for it!  And this was what made Drang’s “supremacy” a joke.  Luffa could depose Drang in a day if she wished.  The Super Saiyan could conquer Shafulb, or simply destroy the entire planet if it displeased her.  Whatever power and autonomy Drang enjoyed was merely a dispensation granted to her by Luffa.

It wasn’t all bad, of course.  Drang wasn’t so arrogant to think she had ever been truly supreme in the universe.  There were always bound to be more powerful forces out there, and it was nice to have one of them supporting Drang’s rule.  Luffa’s sole motive for establishing the Federation was to dare stronger enemies to attack it.  She had gotten her wish when the Shockmaster invaded the sector, and the war was only won by Luffa’s intervention.  Shafulb might have survived the Shockmaster, but Drang doubted that his yoke would have been any lighter than Luffa’s.

Now, a year after the Shockmaster’s defeat, Drang wondered what her next move should be, and whether or not that move would be for or against Luffa.  The Federation was a profitable venture, certainly, but Drang was beginning to wonder if it had outgrown the need for a Super Saiyan to maintain it.  Since defeating the Shockmaster, Luffa hardly spent any time in Federation space.  Had she grown bored with the Federation, just as she had grown bored of mercenary work?    Would she abandon her role in the Federation government, leaving behind a power vacuum?

During the war, Luffa had disappeared from the public in similar fashion, and one of her colleagues, Ryba Booth, had tried to take advantage of the situation.  His power play backfired, and he seemed to give up entirely once Luffa returned to win the war.  Most dismissed his scheme as folly, but Drang knew better.  Booth’s _timing_ was bad, but his _idea_ was sound.  Luffa couldn’t be driven out of the Federation, but if she could be _convinced_ to leave and never return, it would be possible for one of them to seize power in her absence.    The key was to be the first to notice that Luffa wouldn’t be coming back.

Drang considered this dilemma as she scooped up a handful of morsels from a large bowl.   _Was_ there a way to lure Luffa away from the Federation?  All she cared about was battle, and there seemed to be no opponent in the galaxy that could hold her attention for long.

The problem, Drang decided, was that no one really understood the woman.  Drang herself had a number of vices, for example.  She had a weakness for fine food.  She liked watching her enemies be publicly humiliated.   She enjoyed the way her people supplicated themselves to her.  These were hardly secrets, as Drang felt no particular shame about her less admirable traits.  She was petty and venal and she didn’t care who knew it.

By contrast, Luffa was an enigma.  She lived alone in a starship, possibly accompanied by a single aide.  There were rumors that she had a lover, perhaps an alien woman, but these were unsubstantiated.    If the lover did exist, then _she_ was even more reclusive than Luffa.    All Drang really knew about Luffa’s personal habits was that she liked to cook.  It wasn’t enough to go on.

One question that stood out in Drang’s mind was: Why didn’t Luffa interact with her own people?  One would think that she would have invited Planet Saiya to joint the Federation.  Of, if Luffa despised her own people, she could have conquered then and ruled there instead of an alliance of alien worlds.

The more Drang thought about it, the more sure she became that her answers lay there, with Planet Saiya.  If Luffa wouldn’t reveal her own weaknesses to Drang, then perhaps she could find someone else who would…

*******

* * *

_**[4 February 234 Before Age.  Wrantool VI]** _

“Luffa, do you have anything you’d like to add?”

She shifted uncomfortably in her chair, and looked down at her knees.  “No,” she mumbled.

The blue-skinned, red-haired women in the chair beside her was much more forthcoming.  “She was telling me just before we got here how much these sessions were helping.  Right, Luffa?”

Luffa crossed her arms and looked up at the ceiling of the office.

“Zatte, we discussed this last time,” said the molluscoid behind the desk.  The nameplate on his office door read: “Dr. Shunga.”  “We agreed that Luffa can speak for herself.  She doesn’t have to share something if she doesn’t want to.”

“I’m just trying to help,” Zatte said.  “You know how she gets during these visits.”

Luffa shot Zatte a dirty look, then stood up and started pacing around the room.

“Oh here we go,” Zatte grumbled.  She opened her mouth to say more, but the man behind the desk raised one of his tentacled hands to signal for quiet.  Zatte sighed and slumped in her seat.

“Luffa, Zatte said you’ve been preparing more elaborate meals lately,” Dr. Shunga began.

“Nothing special,” she said.  “Just trying out some new things.  She likes Alteri cuisine, but we’re a long way from Alteri IV, so I thought I’d try a few recipes.  Made some _for’cosh_ last night, nothing fancy.  Turned out pretty well.”

“It was great,” Zatte added.  “And so was the _sadanash_ she made last week.  It’s like I’m living in a restaurant on Alteri IV, and I never have to wait in line.  I’m the only one who’s ever had her _sadanash_.  It’s an honor, really.”

Luffa shrugged.  “I’ve still got some kinks to iron out, but I think I’m getting the hang of it.   She thought it was too spicy, so I’m gonna tweak the recipe next time.”

“I _never said_ it was too spicy,” Zatte said.  “I thought it was—“

The man raised his hand again before she could press the issue.  “Luffa, how did you know what Zatte thought about the meal?” he asked.

Luffa clenched her fists and turned away from him.  “I know, all right?”

“Is it because you used your telepathic powers to read her mind?” he asked evenly.

Luffa sighed.  “Yeah.”

Zatte was blushing now.  “It was my fault,” she said.  “We had a fight and I was upset and…”

“They’re _my_ powers,” Luffa said.  “It’s _my_ responsibility.  I should have said no.”

“Why didn’t you, Luffa?”  he asked.

Luffa stopped pacing and started rubbing her temples.  When she stopped she waved her hand at Zatte and said: “Look at her!  I couldn’t just _refuse_!  I’d do anything for her.  She… she needed to know that I still loved her.  I _told_ her I did, but she needed to _know_.  And I guess… I needed to know she still loved me.”

She frowned at the man.  “Is that so bad?” she asked.

“In and of itself, not at all,” he said.  “But while you were linked,  reveling in your love for one another, you picked up stray thoughts you hadn’t bargained for.    _Was_ the meal too spicy, Zatte?”

Zatte was suddenly tense.  “Well, yeah, a little.  But I didn’t _hate_ it or anything.  I was just happy she made it for me.”

“But Luffa didn’t get that context when she probed your mind,” he explained.  “She only took your unspoken complaint, and let it build into resentment.”  He turned to Luffa, who had resumed pacing.  “Isn’t that right, Luffa?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m sorry,” Zatte said.

“It’s my own fault, Zattie,” Luffa said.

“Let’s not dwell on assigning blame,” he said.    “You’ve both been using telepathy this way for some time now.  It’s completely natural.  Many of the couples I counsel do the same, but they had to learn to separate and ignore intrusive thoughts.  Luffa’s abilities are too broad and imprecise for that.   With time and moderation, you may learn to adapt to this.”

“But we just dove right in,” Luffa said.  “And we enjoyed it so much that we never stopped to consider it might have drawbacks.  Then before we knew it, we were over-relying on it… and barely speaking to each other.”

“It created a vicious cycle,” he said patiently.   “And you’ve been working together to break it.  I know it hasn’t been easy for either of you.  You’re used to using the mental link, and now you’re trying to repair your marriage without it.    It’s not unexpected that you’d backslide now and then, but it’s important that you share those expediences with me, so we can talk them out, defuse them before they have a chance to fester into resentment.”

“You’re right,” Luffa said.  “I didn’t think it was that big a deal, but I guess I just didn’t want to admit it.”

He turned to Zatte.  “Zatte, did were there any stray thoughts _you_ picked up from Luffa that have been troubling you?”

“No,” she said quickly.  “I mean, it’s not… Well, it’s bedroom stuff.  We don’t have to talk about it here.”

“Like hell,” Luffa said.  Despite her insistence, her cheeks and ears were beet red.  “We _came here_ to talk, didn’t we?”

“Zatte, do you _want_ to talk about it?” Dr. Shunga asked.

Zatte took a deep breath and nodded.

*******

* * *

_**[6 February 234 Before Age.  Nat-Chezz II.]** _

Luffa’s star-yacht, the _Emerald Eye_ , had been operating outside of Federation space for some time now, though no one knew why.  The Federation itself had been quite secure since Luffa had defeated the Shockmaster, and so the popular assumption was that she was seeking action and adventure in a more dangerous part of the galaxy.  In principle, this was correct, although the whole truth was that Luffa was trying to stay within a week’s travel from the Wrantool system, in order to keep appointments with her marriage counselor.

In between sessions, she kept an eye on subspace communications in the region, hoping to find something interesting to occupy her time, but the pickings would have been slim, even for a normal Saiyan.  So when the Nat-Chez system ceased all contact with the outside universe, Luffa was cautiously optimistic.  As the ship approached the planet, she waited in the cargo bay.  The ship would then enter the upper atmosphere, and she would open the bay door and launch herself headlong into the situation.

“ETA is ten minutes,” Zatte’s voice said through the earpiece communicator Luffa wore.  “You sure this is a good idea?  You might be flying into a plague for all we know.”

“I can sense the planet’s _ki_ from here,” Luffa said.  “They don’t seem sick or anything like that.  Anyway, I’ll steer clear of populated areas until I’ve had a chance to look around.”

“If it’s a hostile, you’ll be giving up the element of surprise,” Zatte said.  “Right now, they don’t know you’re coming, but that’ll change in a hurry once you fire up.”

Luffa adjusted her boots and began doing some last minute stretches.  “And that’ll _flush them out_ , won’t it, Zattie?  They’ve got the stealth game covered.  Which suits me fine.  I’m more of a shock and awe kind of lady anyway.”

“You’re not mad, are you?”

“About what?”

“Our last session with Dr. Shunga.  When we he asked how long it had been since we…”

“I remember.  I was there.”

“I thought you were gonna kill him on the spot.”

“I _thought_ about it, yeah.  I did a number on his chair, sure.  But he’s trying to help us out.  He’s a good guy.    I just have to keep telling myself that.”

“I know it’s tough for you.”

“What’s _’tough’_ is how you keep treating me like I’m made of glass,” Luffa muttered.  “Like I’ll shatter if you aren’t there to protect me from a few personal questions about our sex life.”

“You there Luffa?    I didn’t copy that.”

This was because Luffa  had taken the earpiece out and muffled its receiver in her hand.  Now that she had popped it back in, she replied: “Sorry, I was checking something out.  Anything new on the ship’s sensors?”

“Nothing.  No transmissions from the planet, and all air and spacecraft are grounded.  Plenty of life signs, though.”

“It’s gotta be an alien takeover,” Luffa said.  “I’ll have this wrapped up by dinnertime.  You want rolls or biscuits tonight?”

Zatte didn’t reply.

“Zattie?  You there?”

“Sorry.  I thought I had a blip on the sensors, but it was nothing.”

“Yeah, right.  I’ll just fix salad then.”

“Fine,” Zatte said.

“Okay,” Luffa said.

“Make what _ever_ you want,” Zatte said.

“ _I will_ ,” Luffa said.

“Are we fighting right now?” Zatte asked.

“I don’t know,” Luffa said.  “Look, are we over the drop point yet?  I’d like to get on with this.”

“Um, we passed it,” Zatte said after an awkward pause.  “I’ll have to turn the ship around and make another flyby.”

With a groan, Luffa sat down on the deck and covered her face with her hands.

*******

* * *

Once Luffa finally arrived on the surface, she encountered a few of the locals on a dirt trail that wound along a forest.  The Chezzi were humanoid in appearance, with various shades of orange and red skin, and horns atop their heads instead of hair.  It didn’t take long for her to figure out who had taken control of their planet.

“Spare us, Madame Saiyan!” one of them pleaded.  He dropped to his knees and clasped his hands together in supplication.    “Your humble servants only broke curfew because we need medicine in the next town.”

“He speaks the truth!” said another.  She was a Chezzi female, not much older than Luffa.  “My son has contracted horn-rot, and our village doctor lacks the horn-root needed to prepare a cure!    These two only came along because it was dangerous to travel alone on foot!  If you must take one of us into bondage, then let it be me!”

“No way, take me!” said a small boy.  “Choco’s my _best pal_ , and I won’t go back an’ tell him I stood by an’ let his mom get nabbed by the Saiyans!”

“All right, everybody shut up,” Luffa said.  “I’m not here to enforce some dumb curfew.   I came here to liberate your planet.”

The old man was relieved.  “Then… you _aren’t_ working with the Saiyans who conquered us?”

Luffa turned and spat on the ground.  “ _That’s_ what I think of your conquerors.  Tell me how to find them, and I’ll be happy to… _discuss_ it with them.”

She began cracking her knuckles while the three villagers exchanged confused looks.  The old man opened his mouth to speak, but the woman quickly shushed him.

“Don’t!” she warned him.  “What if they sent her to test our loyalty?”

Before Luffa could reassure her, the boy spoke up.  “Aw, you worry too much, Tocco.  Besides, everybody already knows the Saiyans all live in Fort Luffa.”

Luffa was dumbfounded.  “Fort… _what_?”

*******

* * *

“Fort Luffa” was a Chezzi mansion originally owned by one of the richest men on the planet.  It had been located in a picturesque valley, before the Saiyans uprooted the entire building and carried it to a wasteland thousands of miles away.  The remoteness and inhospitable climate provided a natural defense against most would-be intruders, but Luffa was just at home in such a place as the mansion’s occupants.  While she had the power to destroy the lot of them from the air, she decided to take a more personal approach.    Landing just outside the mansion’s walls, she kicked in the front door and walked inside.

The first person she saw was a Saiyan man, tall and lean, with styling gel in his hair and on the fur of his tail.

“Well _hello_ ,” he cooed, raising an eyebrow as he looked Luffa over from head to toe.  “Zaperc didn’t tell me about any new recruit.  Maybe he afraid I’d sweep you off your feet, and leave you too distracted to listen to his— OOF!”

Luffa drove her fist into his abdomen, and when she pulled back her hand he collapsed into a whimpering heap.  She considered questioning him, but decided he wasn’t worth the effort.

The second obstacle she encountered was a woman, easily a foot taller than Luffa and with very well-defined musculature.  Luffa couldn’t help but admire the woman’s appearance–her biceps were almost as big around as Luffa’s calves–but this attraction was overshadowed by how sloppy her technique was.  Luffa had seized her in a hammerlock before the woman realized she was an intruder.  With a small fraction of her full power, Luffa drove the larger woman down to the floor, released the hold, and then sent a small charge of _ki_ energy through her hand into the base of the woman’s skull, knocking her unconscious.

Minutes later, someone finally sounded an alarm, but Luffa had already forced one of them to take her to their leader.  A couple of other Saiyans tried to stop her, but she swatted them aside like flies, even while she kept her escort trapped in a headlock.

“Z-zaperc’s right through that door!” the young man gasped as he struggled in vain against Luffa’s grip.

“Good,” she said.  “After you.”

Before he could ask what she meant, she shifted her grip and tossed him through the door like a heap of trash.  Inside, Zaperc was dictating notes to a young Chezzi woman with a pad and paper.

“Eh?  Brockle?  What’s gotten into you, boy?  And who is _this_?”

Brockle tried to get to his feet, but Luffa kicked him before he could make it to his knees.  “An intruder, father!” he cried.  “I tried to _stop_ her, but—“

“You’re the one in charge?” Luffa asked.  “You run a sloppy outfit, Zaperc.  Took them too long to sound an alarm, and you can’t even hear it from this room.”  She pointed her thumb at the Chezzi woman.  “Or was this girl your secret weapon to stop intruders?”

Unlike the man she met at the door, Zaperc looked Luffa over for purely tactical reasons.   He quickly decided that he was outmatched, and held out his hands in a submissive gesture.  “Er, welcome, sister!” he said.  “I don’t know what business you have with us, but I can tell from your immense power that you must be a student of Luffa’s just as we are.”

“ _Student_?” Luffa asked.  “What are you babbling about?”

“Why, the Legendary Super Saiyan, of course.  Everything we’ve done here is an effort to put his teachings into practice.”

“Is that so?” Luffa scoffed.  “ _His_ teachings? _He_ told you to take over this planet?  You don’t know a damn thing about the Super Saiyan, old man.”

“And what do _you_ know?” Zaperc demanded.  “Have a care, young one.  You may be strong, but I’ve studied Luffa’s career very carefully and—“

She threw her head back and transformed.  Her short, black hair suddenly glowed bright yellow, and her eyes turned green.  Around her body, her aura flashed and churned the air around her, causing the loose fabric of her yellow pants to ripple and flap.

Zaperc took all of this in, and after he looked her over one more time, he presented his reaction with a single word.

“Oh.”

_**[6 February 234 Before Age.  Rumrumyunsun.]** _

Okartish was dead.  Yarrow examined the corpse of his comrade to find out what had killed him, but there seemed to be no immediate answer.  He reached out with his senses, seeking an enemy life force strong enough to slay a Saiyan warrior, but found none.  Rumrumyunsun was a planet of weaklings, with nothing to offer the two Saiyans but a place to refuel their starship on their way to the brothels of Planet Be’er.  A warrior strong enough to kill Okartish would have stuck out like a sore thumb.

Yarrow helped himself to the unfinished meal Okartish had ordered, and stroked his thick beard in contemplation.  Perhaps this was for the best.  Okartish had his uses, but apparently he was even weaker than Yarrow had suspected.  He had come to his hotel room to renegotiate their splitting of the profits for their next raid.  Okartish wanted to keep things fifty-fifty, but this implied that Okartish did at least fifty percent of the pillaging, which he did not.

“Real shame, buddy,” Yarrow said aloud as he bent over to pat Okartish on the cheek.  “I was _gonna_ be generous, offer to split things sixty-seven/thirty-three.  But I guess one hundred/ _zero_ is a lot easier all around, hey?  I never was much good at math.”

It bothered him to leave loose ends, but he saw no point in sticking around to find the killer.  Okartish had died without a fight, suggesting some sort of trickery, and Yarrow had no interest in playing with tricksters.  There _was_ that so-called “Super Saiyan”, and rumor had it that he could have killed someone like Okartish with a flick of the wrist, but Yarrow didn’t put much stock in rumors.  Besides, the Super Saiyan was supposed to be in a completely different sector these days.  And if someone that strong really existed, Yarrow wanted no part of him.

So Yarrow took one last piece of meat from the room service tray, and headed for the door, turning his back on the closest thing he had ever had to a friend.  He planned to check out of the hotel immediately, return to his ship, and leave Rumrumyunsun as soon as possible.

But then he saw a woman emerging from the lavatory.  Yarrow wondered how she got in without him noticing.  He had neglected to turn on the lights when he had entered the room, but only because the street lamps outside provided enough illumination through the window.

Then he realized that he couldn’t sense any _ki_ from the woman.

“Who the hell are you?” he demanded.  “And what did you do to _him_?”

She giggled and lolled her head to one side.   “I killed him, silly,” she said in a mocking voice.

“Why?”  Yarrow wasn’t sure why he was asking.  His best guess was that Okartish had made a powerful enemy somewhere along the way, and this woman was here to take revenge.  He wanted to know if that vendetta included Yarrow by association.

But the woman simply raised her arm and pointed at Yarrow accusingly.  “He was a Saiyan,” she said.  “That’s reason enough to kill him, isn’t it?  And reason enough to kill _you_.”

As soon as she said it, Yarrow went on the offensive.  With a single swipe of his hand, he tossed a _ki_ blast at her chest, then grabbed her by the throat.  As the destructive energy ripped through her vital organs, he crushed her windpipe, then snapped her cervical vertebrae.  As he released her, the energy blast exited through her back and scorched the door to the hotel room.

And just like that, Okartish’s killer was dead before she hit the floor.

“Idiot,” Yarrow muttered.  He waited a moment, concerned that she had somehow survived his assault, and this was all some elaborate ruse she used to kill her victims.  But after fifteen minutes he decided that he was merely being paranoid.  If this woman really had killed Okartish, then she had been incredibly lucky, or he had been an exceptional fool.  They deserved one another.

And so Yarrow stepped over her corpse and left the room, never giving either of them another thought.

It would be his last mistake.

 

**NEXT:  The Luffa Way.**


	71. Chapter 71

_**[6 February 234 Before Age.  Nat-Chezz II.]** _

“There, you see, it was written right here in the book.”

Zaperc held the dog-eared paperback open with one hand and jabbed his leathery finger onto a particular page he had highlighted.  Despite being completely outmatched, he seemed to be utterly assured that the book would somehow vindicate him.

Luffa snatched it away from him and glanced at the cover.  She was about to ask if Zaperc had lost his mind, until she saw her own name.

The book was entitled _: The Luffa Way: The Path to Unlocking the Success Secrets and Awakening Your Inner Legend._    There was a picture of a glowing golden figure, which Luffa supposed was meant to be her, but it looked more like a Saiyan man.  On the back cover was a small photograph of the author, an unctuous-looking man with a toothy, insincere grin and a pretentious gleam in his eyes.

“Who the hell is _this_ guy?” Luffa demanded.   “I had nothing to do with this!”

“But… but how did you manage to unlock your inner legend without Luffa’s book?”  Zaperc asked.

“I _am_ Luffa, you dimwit!” she shouted.  She pointed at the short, thick hair that now glowed yellow on her scalp.  “And I didn’t get this way by reading any _book_.”

At her feet, Zaperc’s son, Brockle, rolled away from her and sat upright.  “Don’t be… don’t be ridiculous!” he said as he struggled to catch his breath.  “You _can’t_ be Luffa!  According to the book—“

“The book!” Luffa growled.  “ _The book!_  Is that why you weaklings took over this planet?  So you could sit around and _read_ all day?!”

“Weaklings?” Brockle sputtered.  “How _dare_ —?”

With a contemptuous snort, Luffa tapped him on the shoulder and he collapsed to the floor.  Ignoring his groaning, she sat on his back and started flipping through the pages.

“I’ve been photographed at least a hundred thousand times,” she grumbled.  “Can’t even wear that sundress I bought without some creep waiting for me to fly away.”

“Brockle!” cried Zaperc.

“Get… _off_ …. me!” Brockle grunted.

“Oh, it was always satisfying to kill them,” Luffa muttered to herself.  “That look in their eyes when they realized they just laid down their lives for a picture of somebody’s butt.  But there was no _challenge_ to it, and I can’t just waste my life picking off photographers.”

“Believe in your inner legend, son!” Zaperc said.  “You can do it!”

But Brockle could _not_ do it.  Though he flailed his arms and legs mightily, Luffa had him pinned firmly to the ground.  She crossed her knees and licked her finger as she continued to page through the book.

“All they’ve got in here are _‘artists’ conceptions’_ ,” Luffa said.  “And every _'eyewitness account’_ I see in here is from some planet I’ve never been to!  Wait a minute.  Planet Krouton?  That’s not even a real planet!”

“You can do it, son!” Zaperc cheered.  “Unless… she really _is_ Luffa…”

“I went to Krouton in some made-up story a _fan_ wrote about me!” Luffa seethed. She looked up at Zaperc with disbelief.  “Whoever wrote this thing must have seen the same thing and thought it was a true story!   You mean you twits were taking advice from _this_?  No wonder you’re all so weak!”

“But there has to be _some_ truth to it,” Zaperc said.  “Your transformed state.  Your role in creating the Federation… and you defeated thirty Saiyans on Vedev III—“

“ _Fifty_ Saiyans,” Luffa said sharply.  “And most of _that_ bunch were a lot stronger than your little band of raiders.”

“Raiders!” Zaperc exclaimed.  “No, you don’t understand!    We didn’t come here to loot this world.  We came here to be its _champions_!”

Luffa closed the book and glared at him suspiciously.

*******

* * *

In the galley of the _Emerald Eye_ , Luffa chopped vegetables while Zatte leaned against the opposite counter.

“Let me get this straight,” Zatte said between bites of a taproot.  “Some guy you’ve never heard of wrote a self-help book, and made it all about you.  Even though he’s never met you, and he never got permission from you.”

“Right,” Luffa said without looking up from her work.  “You want some blue-cress in this?  I’m in the mood for blue-cress.”

“Go for it,” Zatte said.  “But this guy writes a book and puts your name on it to help it sell. Then this Zaperc guy buys a copy, and he thinks it’s some kind of Saiyan Holybook.”

Luffa tensed up at the sound of that, and the rhythm of her knife on the cutting board was disrupted.  “I mean, yeah,” Luffa said, “but when you put it _that_ way…”

“But I thought the other Saiyans all believed you were a phony,” Zatte said.  “They don’t believe Saiyans can transform the way you do, so they think you’re not a real Saiyan.”

“Apparently the guy who wrote that book did a better job convincing Zaperc than I ever could,” Luffa said.  “Not that I ever tried to convince anyone.  If my people want to pretend I’m an alien imposter to soothe their egos, that’s their problem.  But Zaperc’s gang is buying into a whole other set of lies.   He thinks I’m a man who awakened his _'inner legend’_ through the power of positive thinking or some other malarkey.”

“Don’t be too hard on them,” Zatte said.  “Positivity got them this far, didn’t it?  They got your attention, after all.”

“But they didn’t come to this planet to get my attention,” Luffa said.  “They _came_ here to make some half-assed imitation of what I did with the Federation.    They want to defend Nat-Chezz from anyone who tries to invade it.  Sort of what I’ve been doing, but on a smaller scale.”

“And it worked,” Zatte said.  “You showed up and gave them a bigger challenge than they ever would have found roaming around space, picking fights they knew they could win.”

“ _Challenge_ ,” Luffa scoffed.  “Against me, they’re like a bunch of ants trying to bring down a dinosaur.”

“What about the Chezzi?” Zatte asked.  “Are they okay with their new ’champions’?”

“I talked to their king,” Luffa said.  “He’s totally on board with this idea, but I think it’s just because he likes having a bunch of Saiyans working for him.  A lot of big shots are like that.  They see a Saiyan bodyguard as a status symbol.   _‘Look at me, this guy can fight a whole army and he does whatever I tell him.’_  That kind of thing.”

“Like when Wildthyme was controlling us,” Zatte said.

“Exactly,” Luffa said, pausing to point her knife at the ceiling.  “That little bastard could have made me do all sorts of things for him, but all he _really_ wanted was for me to stand around and make him feel important.  Same thing here, only I don’t think the Chezzi king knows what he’s gotten himself into.”

“Do they even need protection?” Zatte asked.

Luffa nodded while she scraped diced peppers into a bowl.  “They’ve got a lot of scandium resources, whatever that is.  They’ve been conquered a few times before, which is probably why those villagers I talked to were so confused.  They probably just thought I was kicking Zaperc out to seize the planet for myself.”

“This sounds kind of complicated,” Zatte said.

“I know.  That’s why I’m gonna _un_ complicate it.  If these fourth-rate Saiyans are going to go around interfering in people’s business, that’s one thing.  But they’re doing it in my name, and that really ticks me off.”

“Where do we start?” Zatte asked.

“ _We_?” Luffa asked.  “These are Saiyans, Zattie.  They may be weaklings, but they’re still dangerous.”

“I’ve lived with one for a while,” Zatte said.  “She’s moody, but I eventually showed her who’s boss.”

“Yeah, well this is serious, _boss_ ,” Luffa said.

“So am I,” Zatte said.  “Like it or not, you’re an inspiration to these people, just like you’re an inspiration to me.  It’s going to be weird for them to see their golden hero as a real person.  I still have trouble with it sometimes, and I’ve known you for years.  I might be able to connect with them better than you can.”

Luffa continued chopping silently for a while, then at last said: “Okay, maybe you’ve got a point.  I’ll bring you along.”

Zatte began to make an excited noise, until Luffa cut her off by adding: “On one condition.  Don’t embarrass me in front of them.  Most of them still don’t know what to make of me.   The _last_ thing I need is an oversexed Dorlun confusing them even more.”

“Of course not,” Zatte said.  “I know how you feel about public displays of affection.”

“I’m not saying you need to pretend like you don’t know me,” Luffa said.  “Handholding is fine.  No kissing, though.”

“I know the drill.”

“I _mean it_ , Zattie.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

*******

* * *

_**[7 February 234 Before Age.  Nat-Chezz II.]** _

The Saiyans were gathered together just outside “Fort Luffa”, which was a mansion that had been donated by a wealthy Chezzi, albeit begrudgingly.  Some of them were sitting on the ground or large stones, while others had taken furniture from the mansion.    Luffa’s star-yacht was parked a hundred yards away.

There were seven in all.  Zaperc was about sixty, but Saiyans aged very little through most of their life span, and so he looked very much like his young son, Brockle.  Both were pale skinned, but Brockle was a head taller than his father, while Zaperc had a long ghoatee at the end of his chin.

Lounging on a couch was Bodi, the first Saiyan Luffa had encountered on this planet.   He kept leering at her over a pair of cheap sunglasses, and raising one of his thick eyebrows as if to convey his interest.  The last time he had tried to flirt with Luffa, she knocked the wind out of him.  Apparently that punch hadn’t gotten the message across, or he just looked like that all the time.  Luffa planned to hit him again either way.

Vigurd had a very stocky body, the sort that would strike terror into the hearts of her enemies, except that her ruddy, cherubic face had a sickly sweet innocence to it that completely undermined her attitude.  She was scowling at Luffa for giving her a bloody nose in their last encounter, but her angry expression only made her look even cuter.  It was a sad lot in life to be so adorable, but Luffa respected Vigurd’s determination to overcome her deformity.

Lesseri, on the other hand, was at least 70 inches tall, with an extremely muscular build and long shaggy hair that went down to her hips.  Her complexion was somewhat darker than Luffa’s which seemed to compliment the countours of her mesomorphic body.  Luffa was a married woman, of course, but a Saiyan with Lesseri’s physique made her consider what might have been.

Hijik was a thin, bitter-looking man with only a tuft of black hair at the center of his otherwise bare scalp.  He beady eyes regarded Luff with complete contempt.  It was obvious to her that his disdain for her ran deeper than her quick victory over their group yesterday.

Finally, there was Jikama, who barely warranted Luffa’s attention.  He had red hair and eyes, and his build was chunky, but not to the same extend at Vigurd.  Like the others he viewed Luffa with distrust, but she cared very little what any of them thought of her.  All she wanted from them now was her attention.

“You claim to be defending this planet, but none of you even sensed me coming until I was already in your lair,” Luffa said.  “I wasn’t using my full power, but I still should have been hard to miss, so I’m guessing that means none of you were paying attention.”

Zaperc was the first to speak up for the group.  “We were, uh, resting after a long patrol—“

“All seven of you?” Luffa asked.  “At the same time?  If I had been a real enemy I could have destroyed you all from orbit.”

“Where do _you_ get off telling _us_ how to handle ourselves?” Hijik demanded.  “I only joined this group because Zaperc said it would help me get _stronger_.”  He glanced at Vigurd and Lesseri before turning back to Luffa.  “But so far all I’ve gotten is an earful from a bunch of _women_.”

Luffa smiled.    “I thought you might have a beef with me, Hijik,” she said.  “So let’s get it out into the open.”

“You’re no Super Saiyan,” Hijik said.  “I don’t know what that transformation is, but you _can’t_ be as strong as Chanisp was.”

“And why not?” Luffa asked.

“Because…!  Because _look at you!_  Everyone knows Saiyan women lack the fighting skills of men.  You can’t get angry enough to tap into your full power.    It’s simple biology!”

“Come and show me then,” Luffa said.  She held out her arm and curled in her fingers to invite him to attack.  “Unless you’re _afraid_.”

Vigurd and Lesseri chuckled at this.  Zaperc looked at him expectantly, but Hijik didn’t move.

“Oh, you’d like that, wouldn’t you?” he scoffed.  “You’ll just thrash me like you did yesterday, and pretend you’ve proven me wrong.  Well let me tell you something: You women have been pushing us around long enough, and if you’re not careful—“

“Let me tell _you_ something, Hijak,” Luffa broke in.  “You’re all talk.  I’m guessing you only threw in with Zaperc because you wanted to find some shortcut, some way to prove you’re genetically superior to half of our race.  If I _were_ a man, you’d take that as proof that you’re further ahead than any Saiyan woman, even if they happen to be stronger than you.  But I’m _not_ a man, am I?  So where does that leave you?  Let’s find out.”

Luffa snapped her fingers and suddenly Zatte appeared beside her, as though materializing out of thin air.  She dropped a supply bag at her feet and  waved cordially to the group.

“Who’s she?” Brockle asked.

“She’s my wife,” Luffa said.

“Oh, _wonderful_ ,” Hijik grumbled.

“Zatte isn’t very strong,” Luffa said, but she’s got some interesting abilities.  You’ve already seen how she can camouflage herself.  Even I couldn’t sense her until she revealed hersel—“

Luffa happened to glance at Zatte while she spoke, and this completely derailed her train of thought.  The Dorlun woman was wearing a one-piece swimsuit, with the words “Super Saiyan Club President” printed on the front. The rest of her outfit consisted of combat boots, a cropped leather jacket, gun holsters strapped to her bare legs, and her usual eyepatch.  She was eating a small lollipop, and occasionally adjusted the stick with her hand.

“There’s a _club_?” asked Vigurd.

Luffa stared at Zatte, who grinned back at her.  “We _talked_ about this,” Luffa whispered.

“It’s hot out here,” Zatte said.  “And this is my favorite swimsuit.  Unless you wanted me to go back to the ship and get the one _you_ seem to like so much.”  She reached out and tapped Luffa on the tip of her nose when she said “you”.

 _“No!”_ Luffa said quickly, her face turning red.  “No, this is fine.”

“I knew you’d see things my way, dear,” Zatte said as she kissed Luffa on the cheek.

“Hey!” Luffa yelped.

“Enough of this!” Hijik whined.  “I didn’t come here to watch you show off your alien consort!”

“I *brought* her here as a challenge,” Luffa said, suddenly regaining her focus.  "You don’t seem to eager to fight _me_ Hijik, so why don’t you take on _her_?“

"That’s absurd!” Brockle objected.

“Is it?!” Luffa shouted.  "Your father was willing to do whatever I said when he thought it was in that stupid book!  Well, I flipped through it last night, and I did find a couple of things I liked.  "That line about 'Never backing down from a challenge’?“

Brockle looked to Zaperc, who nodded in agreement.

"You shouldn’t need _me_ or anyone else to tell you that.  Least of all some alien hack who’s never set foot on a battlefield,” Luffa went on.  "It should be burning in your blood.   You should be excited to fight me, Hijik, _or_ Zatte, or anyone _else_ who comes along.  But you’re too afraid of _losing_ , of having to rethink your opinions.“

"What species is she?” Hijik asked carefully.

“What difference does it make?” Luffa demanded.  "You’re strong enough to defeat her.    You have the advantage, which was why I planned to drop you two off in a jungle a couple thousand miles from here.    Nice game of hide and seek.“

Zatte took a pistol from one of her holsters and checked the settings.  "You did say you wanted heavy stun, right?” she asked.

“Definitely,” Luffa said.  "You might have to hit some of these guys twice to bring them down though.“

"Whatever you say, sweetie,” Zatte said.

Luffa blushed again, and a few of the other Saiyans did as well.

“Will you cut that _out_?” Luffa hissed.

Zatte simply grinned and checked her other weapons.

“But… I can’t sense her _ki_ ,” Hijik blubbered.  "And if she can become invisible…“

Bodi suddenly stood up and removed his glasses.  "So it’s a snipe hunt?  Very well!  I accept.  Tracking pretty girls is my specialty.  Take heart, Hijik!  If this alien smells as lovely in the jungle as she does here, then the day is already won.”  He struck a pose and added:  " _Game Over!_ “

Luffa took one of Zatte’s guns and shot him Bodi in the chest.  He curled up into a ball and began groaning from the pain.

"He’s right,” Luffa said.  "You can sniff her out, but don’t think that she’ll just stand still and leave an easy trail to follow.  Not to mention that she’ll be hunting _you_ while you hunt for her.  One time she…  what is _that_?“

They all began curiously sniffing at the air, except for Zatte, who was spraying something onto her body.

"Camphor,” Zatte said.  "It’s good insect repellent, and the smell’s kind of nice.  I always bring along way more than I need, though.“

She looked at the bottle and stroked her chin.  "Well, whatever I don’t use, I can always dump onto a tree or something.”

Luffa was genuinely surprised by this.  "Well,“ she said.   “So much for trackin her scene.   I guess you could still hear her if you pay close attention.”

“None of you heard me when I put all those stinkbombs a few minutes ago,” Zatte said.

Vigurd blinked twice and asked “What stinkbo– AAAAAAAAAWWWWWWW!”

Suddenly they were all holding their noses and groaning as a putrid, sulfurous odor permeated the entire site.  Luffa took a step back, but she was too amazed by Zatte’s tactics to properly defend herself against them.

“I know _my_ weaknesses,” Zatte explained.  "And I take steps to compensate for them.  More importantly, I make it my business to know my _enemy’s_ weaknesses.  You Saiyans are used to getting by with brute force solutions, but small fry like me don’t always have that luxury.“

She approached Luffa and wrapped her arms around her.  Luffa was perturbed, but didn’t try to stop her.  "I’ve watched this lady do some incredible thing,” Zatte said.  “But I’ve also had to wash skunk spray off her because she didn’t think ahead.  She could blow up this whole planet, but she gets uptight if I get too affectionate around other people.”

She pointed at Hijik.  "And _you_ ,“ she said.  "You’re more easily flustered than Luffa is, but nowhere near as strong.  The sad thing is that you’ve got a good chance of catching me in that jungle, but you’re so afraid of getting shown up by an alien woman that you’ve already mentally given up.”

“This is stupid,” Hijik whined.  "You two are just setting me up to fail!  Why should I play your sick game if I can’t win?“

"Because failure is the best teacher,” Luffa said.  "I didn’t get this strong by being undefeated.  Neither did Chanisp or Old Darbock, or the other old heroes.  We Saiyans grow stronger when we’re pushed to our limits.  Or did you forget that because it wasn’t written in that book of yours?“

Zaperc shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"You should be fortifying the planet,” Luffa said.  "Drilling with each other and planning defense strategies with the local military.  I didn’t start the Federation so I could lounge around in someone else’s house all day while I waited for an easy opponent to show up at my door,“ Luffa said.  "I was looking for a challenge.  Something to _work on_.

"The Chezzi king _authorized_ our use of the mansion,” Brockle said as he pointed towards it.

“Fine, but he’s not forcing you to stay inside it all day!” Luffa replied.  "None of you were remotely prepared for a fight.“

"So what?” Lesseri asked.  "You would have beaten us either way.  I told you it was stupid to stay in one place, Zaperc.  It takes away our option to retreat.“

” _Retreat?!_ “ Luffa shouted.  "Is that all you think of when a strong opponent shows up?  Where’s your Saiyan pride?”

“What good is pride if I’m dead?” Lesseri said with a shrug.

“My people say the same thing,” Zatte said with an understanding smile.  

Luffa shot her a dirty look and Zatte quickly added: “Sorry.”

“I’l let you all in on a little secret _,”_ Luffa said with an evil grin. _“We’re all going to die_.  How and when is up to us.  Or did your mother tell you differently, Lesseri?  When she taught you to fight, did she tell you not to bother, since you’d just outlive all your enemies anyway?”

“My mother?” Lesseri scoffed.  "She abandoned me to a gestation facility as soon as she found out she was pregnant.“  She raised her arm and flexed it, showing off her sizeable bicep.  "I got this far on my _own_.”

Luffa was shocked by her words.  " _Gestation facility_!?“ she exclaimed.

"The one on Wexloi Sigma?” Vigurd asked.

“Matter of fact, yeah,” Lesseri said.

“They’ve got a good outfit there,” Vigurd said.  "I had my twins gestated there.“

"How could you let them do that to your own children?!” Luffa gasped.

“Let them?”  Vigurd said with a laugh.  "It was _my idea_ , ’sweetie’.  They certainly charged me enough for it.  6500 credits just for the prenatal extraction.“

"Ouch,” Lesseri said.

“That’s _per_ embryo, by the way,” Vigurd added.  "Which is stupid.  It’s not like they had to do two surgeries.  And don’t get me started on the nutrient bath fees.“

"That’s _monstrous_!” Luffa said.  "Why would you–?“

"What was I _supposed_ to do?” Vigurd shot back.  "Lounge around the house until I gave birth to them?  Skip perfectly good battles just to nurse a pair of ungrateful brats?  Where’s _your_ Saiyan pride?“

Luffa clenched her fists and began grinding her teeth.

"Hey, uh, maybe we need to get on with the training,” Zatte said.  "I’ve got the jungle’s coordinates, so we can all just rendezvous there and get started–“

“Good point, Vigurd,” Lesseri said.   “Seize the day, I always say.   You can’t wait for your enemies to die of old age.   At least, that’s what that bitchy Super Saiyan told me.”

Luffa cut her off.  "Since you like _options_ so much, Lesseri, I’ll give you all one.  You can either help Hijik chase Zatte in the jungle, or you can spar with _me_.”

“Suits me fine,” Lesseri said.  "I’d rather take a beating than listen to any more of your sermons.“

"Fall.  Out.”  Luffa said through gritted teeth.

*******

* * *

“Well, that could have gone better,” Zatte said after they were gone.

Luffa didn’t answer, except to make a low growl.

“I’m, uh, sorry for how I acted,” Zatte said.  "I was trying to get a psychological edge, and I figured if I could throw _you_ off balance, then I could definitely rattle _them_.“

"You were great, Zattie,” she said.  "Took me a while to catch on, but you’re a genius.  You knew just what buttons to push.“

"Oh, well… thanks.  Listen, we knew they’d be rough around the edges.  They’re angry and disillusioned, and we’re gonna have to break them down before we can build them back up.  So don’t let anything they say get to you–”

“That’s not it,” Luffa muttered.“

"Then what’s wrong?” Zatte said.

Luffa looked at her and sighed.  Her expression was as wild and resolute as ever, but Zatte couldn’t help but noticed a weariness in Luffa’s eyes.

“I’m not _sure_ what’s wrong,” Luffa said grimly.  "But I’m starting to think it might be me.“

**NEXT: The Games We Play**


	72. Chapter 72

_**[19 February 234 Before Age.  Toth-Thoth]** _

Detective Bret ducked under the brightly colored ribbon that cordoned off the crime scene and found a group of lawmen huddled together.  He headed straight for them and introduced himself.

“Glad to have you on this case, Bret,” said Captain Neier.  "I usually hate it when they call in people from other precincts, but this time we could use all the help we can get.“

Bret nodded. "May I look at the body?” he asked, pointing down at the tarp lying at their feet.

“Sure,” Neier said.  He titled his head and glanced over his shoulder.  "Over this way.“

Bret looked past him, and spotted a covered body lying on the ground.  "I don’t understand,” he said, pointing to the tarp they were standing around.  "If that’s the body, what’s this?“

Neier sighed.  "I’d better show you the victim first.”

Bret shrugged and followed him to the other tarp, which Neier pulled back to reveal the corpse of a humanoid male, six feet in height, lying face down in the alleyway.  He couldn’t tell much from the first look.

“No signs of a struggle,” he said. “No obvious wounds.  Can’t say I’m surprised.  This guy looks like he could handle himself in a fight.”  He sat on his haunches to take a closer look, and noticed a rip just below the belt-line of his trousers.  "Is that…?“

"A hole for his tail,” Neier said. “He’s a Saiyan.”

Bret looked up at him in amazement.  "Who could have done this to a Saiyan?“

"That’s what I’d like to know,” Neier said.  "Between you and me, this is one perp I’d rather not find.  With any luck, the killer’s already left the planet, but it’s not like anyone here would have been a threat to him, you know?“

Bret shuddered at the thought.  He removed a pen from his jacket and carefully manipulated the fabric around the tail-hole to get a better look.  "So where’s his tail?” he asked.  "Some Saiyans cut them off or lose them in battle, but this must have happened recently, or he wouldn’t need to rip a hole in his pants.“

"And that’s why we called you in,” Neier said.  He waved for Bret to follow him back to the first tarp, and nodded for one of the other police officers to remove it.

It was a pile of Saiyan tails.  Bret took an involuntary step backward as he realized what he was seeing.  Something about the sight of all those furry appendages lying together made him nauseous, even before the smell wafted up to his nose.

“We’re assuming one of them is his,” Neier said, “but we’ll need to run DNA tests to be sure.  Best guess for now is that this collection goes back about two months.”

“There must be…” Bret stopped to wait for his stomach to settle down.  "Must be twenty of them there.“

"I counted twenty-four,” Neier said.

“But there haven’t been that many Saiyans on Toth-Thoth in the past two *years*,” Bret said.   “I don’t think there’s two dozen Saiyans in the whole sector.”

“Like I said, whoever did this may already be long gone,” Neier said.  "I don’t know why he left behind his collection of trophies, but I doubt he’s finished hunting.  He’s out there somewhere, waiting to kill again.“

*******

* * *

**_[26 February 234 Before Age.   Nat-Chezz II.]_ **

Inspired by Luffa’s exploits, Zaperc had tried to follow in her footsteps, but the path was even more difficult than he had expected.   Most of the galaxy only knew Luffa by reputation and rumor, and even the planets she had fought for had only a vague idea of who she was and how she operated.   In desperation, Zaperc had turned to an unauthorized biography-cum-self-help book entitled "The Luffa Way”.   He then assembled a band of followers and led them here, to Nat-Chezz II, where he planned to protect it from invaders, just as Luffa had done for other planets.   It was going well, right until the real Luffa showed up and turned his entire movement upside down.  

Meeting her was an honor, though she was very different from what Zaperc had envisioned.  For one thing, Luffa was a woman, and she acted very much like most off the typical Saiyans he had known throughout his life.  At the same time, she had an idealistic streak that put his own lofty dreams to shame.  

Zaperc longed to achieve greater glory, if not for himself, then for his son, and for the Saiyan race as a whole.    Luffa, however, seemed to have an almost apocalyptic worldview at times.  She never quite came out and said so, but she seemed almost disappointed that she wasn’t constantly fighting a desperate battle to the death.  All Saiyans loved to fight, but there was something different about her, something that ran deeper than the golden transformation she used to manifest her immense power.  

He wondered if Luffa had been changed by her evolution, or if she had been that way from the start.   As he and his followers sat in a half-circle to learn at her feet, he hoped that the answers would come forth through her lessons.   Thus far, however, all he had learned was that she was a very unorthodox teacher, and she didn’t seem to care if it made her students impatient.  

Standing before them, Luffa balanced herself on the toes of  her right foot.   She then crossed her left leg over her right thigh, bending her knee such that her left foot was pointing toward the sky.    

“I know this seems a little weird,” she said, “but it’s a pretty effective technique, especially when you’re surrounded by multiple enemies.   Now, you’ll want to put your left arm up like this, elbow straight, with the wrist bent so your hand is over your head, palm down.   Then you put your right arm up like this, parallel to your shoulders.  Bend the elbow and bring your right hand palm _up_ in front of your chest.    It’s like you’re using your hands to sort of frame your face.   The pose is critical to the technique, so if you get it wrong you could be wide open to an attack.  Any questions so far?”

Brockle raised his hand.   Zaperc smiled with pride.   While he was grateful for all his followers, he hoped that his son would benefit from these lessons most of all.   Brockle was extremely talented for his age, and with the right guidance, Zaperc was sure he could become a warrior on Luffa’s level.  He lacked patience, true, but at least he was asking questions about Luffa’s skills instead of resenting her for them.  

“Go ahead Brockle,” Luffa said.  

“Why the hell are we doing this?”  Brockle asked.  

Zaperc sighed and closed his eyes.   Brockle still had a long way to go.

“Because the Shiei Fist is a brilliant technique,” Luffa replied.   “I picked it up while fighting a horde of shadow warriors on Planet Zansu.   The Zansans who developed it couldn’t do a whole lot with it, but in the hands of a _Saiyan_ , the explosive wave is–”

“This is stupid!” Brockle growled.   “You said you would teach us something _useful_ , and you’re showing off alien _dance moves_.”

Luffa dropped the pose and approached Brockle.  “Is that so?” she said.    “Well maybe you’d like to teach _me_ something.”

Brockle sniffed with contempt.  “What’s the use?” he asked.  “You’re so strong, you can afford to use whatever sloppy techniques you please.”

“Oh, is _that_ my problem?” Luffa said.    “You admit that I’m stronger than you, so you want to salve your ego by pretending you have more finesse.    Well I’ll tell you what, Brockle.   Why don’t you show me your finishing technique, your ultimate move, and I’ll evaluate it for you.”

“You’re on,” Brockle said.   “It’ll be worth it to put you in your place for once, woman.”  

In spite of the hostility between Luffa and Brockle, Zaperc was hopeful.   As much as he wanted Brockle to respect Luffa, he also longed for Luffa to recognize Brockle’s potential, to see Brockle the way Zaperc did.  Perhaps this demonstration would show her that Brockle was worthy of her respect.    

Luffa waved for Brockle to begin, and he gathered his _ki_ , powering up to his maximum strength.   Luffa watched him and crossed her arms, apparently fascinated to see what he would do.  

He held his hands in front of his face and made the tips of his index fingers glow crimson.    Then he began to wave his fingers in an intricate pattern, weaving a complex image of red light that trailed his hands as they moved.   In a matter of seconds, he had created a globe of criss-crossed energy tendrils, and he smiled arrogantly as it floated above his outstretched palm.    

“The Devil Mesh!” Brockle announced.   “I can make it change direction, but it can also alter its shape in mid-flight.  It can tangle enemies like a net, or impale them like a spear!”

Zaperc beamed with pride.   The Devil Mesh was based upon simpler techniques Zaperc had used for decades.   Brockle had managed to refine them into something far greater, and he seemed to complete the execution of the technique a little faster each time he tried it.  

Luffa rubbed her chin thoughtfully as she considered what he had made.    “ _Interesting_ ,” she said.   “It’s a little too clever by half, but I like the versatility.”

“It’s only ‘too clever’ because you’re too _stupid_ to do it yourself!” Brockle snarled.  

“Well, I’ll give it a try,” Luffa said.  

To Zaperc’s surprise, she didn’t bother building up her _ki_.   Instead she simply made all ten of her fingertips glow, and she waved them around with an intense speed, completing a globe like Brockle’s in a fraction of the time.  

“That… you _can’t_ …” Brockle gasped.  

“I just did,” Luffa said.   “It’s a little tricky, but kind of fun to play with.    It’d make a good training exercise for a kid.   _And_ it’d be a good lesson on spotting weaknesses in techniques.”

“Fool!” Brockle growled.   “There _is_ no weakness to the Devil Mesh!”  

Luffa pointed her finger at Brockle and fired a thin beam of light at the crimson sphere floating over his hand.    

It exploded in his face.     

“It’s so complex that it’s unstable,” Luffa said.   She waited for him to finish coughing before she continued her explanation.   “If you actually made one of those in the middle of a fight, your enemy could easily sabotage it before you’d ever get a chance to use it.   It wouldn’t even take much power to pull that off.   Even a weakened or dying opponent could still have enough energy to take you down with him.”

Zaperc was stunned, almost as if the Devil Mesh had exploded in his own face.  Only a moment ago, he thought of it as his son’s greatest achievement, and Luffa had deconstructed it with ease.  She didn’t even need her Super Saiyan form to do it.   He knew she was powerful, and he had long assumed she was brilliant, but this was beyond anything he could have imagined!

She quickly dismantled her own Devil Mesh  before any of her students got any bright ideas.    “Now, maybe we can get back to the Shiei Fist?”

Brockle gnashed his teeth as he sat back down.  Zaperc wished he could offer him some sort of encouragement, but it was better to let things take their course.   Luffa’s training was a bitter pill to swallow, but she *was* the Super Saiyan.   If she couldn’t show Brockle the way to the next level, then no one could.

*******

* * *

Deep in the dense, treacherous jungle the Saiyan had been using for training, Zatte was helping Jikama to his feet.  

“How long was I out?” he asked as he rubbed his forehead.  

“About an hour,” Zatte said.  

“You’ve been waiting here for me to wake up this whole time?” Jikama asked.   He rose to his full height, and while he wasn’t quite as tall as some of his comrades, he was still massive enough for Zatte to fit entirely in his shadow.

“Normally, I wouldn’t stick around,” Zatte said with a shrug.  "But you’re not nearly as sore a loser as the others.   Especially Hijik.  I took him down about six hundred yards that way.  Went back and shot him again twenty minutes ago, just to prove a point.“

She patted the large pistol holstered on her hip as she said this.  

"It’s because I’m only half-Saiyan,” Jikama said.  "I find I’m not nearly as hot-headed as the rest of them.“

"I don’t care if you’re half, full, or double-Saiyan,” Zatte said.  "Hijik’s a dick, and being a dick for no good reason is a good way to get yourself killed.  Anyway, my wife’s as pure-blooded as he is, and she still knows how to show a little respect.“

Jikama chuckled.   "Not to me, she doesn’t,” he said.  

Zatte made a concerned frown as she looked up at him.   “Something bothering you, Jikama?” she asked.  "I know Luffa’s rough on you guys, but it’s for your own good, trust me.“

He shook his head and smiled.   "It’s nothing I’m not used to,” he said.   “Saiyans look down on half-breeds like me.  Oh, the others are accepting enough, but only up to a point.  Aliens like you are on thing, but a half-Chezzi like me will always be one foot in, one foot out.”

Zatte nodded.  "But you did really well today.   That’s why I hung around, to congratulate you.  You tracked me down to within fifty feet.   I don’t know how you kept picking up my trail, but I’m impressed.“

"I knew I couldn’t rely on smell or sound,” Jikama said, “and your power lets you hide your _ki_ , so I decided to try focusing on the _ki_ of our surroundings instead.”  He waved his thick arm at the jungle canopy over their heads.  "I figured your powers would slightly affect my perception of the life energy from the trees and grass as you came into contact with them, and it worked, but the difference was too slight to get a fix on your location.“

"Nice,” Zatte said.  "You’ll have to hone your senses until you _can_ get a fix.  And _I’ll_ have to work on covering my tracks a little better.   You’re resourceful, Jikama.   That’s the high praise where I come from, and if Luffa doesn’t appreciate that, she’ll get an earful from me.“

"That’s kind of you to say,” Jikama said anxiously, “but I wouldn’t want to cause any arguments between the two of you.”

“Trust me, one more won’t hurt,” Zatte said.  "Maybe the other Saiyans won’t respect you, but I expect better from Luffa.“

"To be fair,” Jikama said, “I will say that I find her a refreshing change from most Saiyans I’ve met.”

“What do you mean?” Zatte asked.  

Jikama shrugged.  "She looks down on me, sure,“ he said, "but she seems almost more disappointed with the purebreds.”

*******

* * *

_**[28 February 234 Before Age.  Bigreen.]** _

Chirad was a librarian and aspiring historian, but after he helped Luffa save Planet Bigreen from the evil Hamey, he had been hailed as a great hero.  He was only one-quarter Saiyan, and his power was only a meager fraction of Luffa’s might, but the Bigreenese still adored him as their local champion, and revered him as an expert on Saiyans.

While he appreciated their esteem, he knew he didn’t deserve it.  Luffa and her friends had done most of the work in liberating Bigreen, but they had gone and he had stayed, and so his role in the adventure had been amplified in the public opinion.  All that really mattered to him was that it got the girl from the Special Collections desk to finally notice him.

“Now just wait here, Emeral, I’ll speak with the Director and it should only take a minute and then when I get done heh-heh.  We’ll go see a movie!  How’s that?”

She lolled her head to one side and made a high-pitched giggle, which Chirad took as a sign of approval.  Just as he was about to enter the Security Director’s office, the door opened, and someone stepped out to greet him.

“Ah, you must be Chirad,” he said cordially.  "Yes, of course you are I’d recognize that wild mane of black hair anywhere.  Very rugged, it suits a man like you, a descendant of the _Space Warriors_ , mmm yes indeed won’t you come inside?“

Chirad was surprised.  "Uhhhhh… Director Pine I was just about to go into your office wow how about that, weird.”

Pine led him inside and offered him a seat across from his desk.  "I’m afraid the situation is very serious, Chirad, though I wish it wasn’t ohhhhh, I certainly hope you can help us errr… please have a seat, oh, well you already have heh heh heh.  Very convenient.  I don’t mind at all!“

Chirad only knew that a Saiyan had arrived on Bigreen recently.  This was not unusual in itself, as Bigreen was on very friendly terms with Saiyans from all walks of life.  But Chirad knew that something must have gone wrong, or they wouldn’t have asked for him to get involved.

"Director,” he said, “if you need someone beaten up, well, I’ll help my planet any way that I can but I’m not that strong.  I mean I’m stronger than most people but when it comes to _Space Warriors_ … uhhhh?”

“Ah, you’re too modest, Chirad,” the Director said.  "But I only wish it were that simple.  Yes a powerful menace that even you couldn’t defeat what a treat that would be compared to this!  Even if you failed to save us we could always contact your friend _Ruhffer_ to come and save us.   Yes, I doubt that any normal enemy could stand against a _Space Super Warrior_ like her but our problem is very different look at this.“

He tossed an envelope onto his desk and slid it over to where Chirad could reach it.  Chirad opened it to find several crime scene photographs of a dead woman clad in traditional Saiyan attire.  There was no sign of any wounds, except for the amputation of her tail.  There was also an autopsy report that concluded the Saiyan had been poisoned by an unidentified toxin.

"Now, Chirad, as you already know, we like to maintain good relations with the _Space Warriors_ and their home planet of Saiya,” Pine said.  "That’s why it’s especially bad that this woman isn’t just a murder victim oh no.  She was also a minister–that’s right– in the court of King Rehval, yes the very _King_ of the _Space Warriors_!“

"Then you mean the King of the _Space Warriors_ sent his minister here?” Chirad asked.

“Hmm?  Not in an official capacity you see no she was here on personal business though I’m not privy to such matters, being personal as they so often are,” Pine said.

Chirad understood.  Even if the minister hadn’t been attached to a diplomatic envoy, her murder would still be a strain on Bigreenese/Saiyan relations.  He still had more questions than answers, but at least now he understood why the highest law enforcement official on the planet was involved with the case.

What Chirad still didn’t know was how he was supposed to help with any of this, but somehow he doubted that he and Emeral were going to make it in time to see that movie he promised her.

**NEXT: The Roles We Fill**


	73. Chapter 73

_**[1 March 234 Before Age.  Nat-Chezz II.]** _

Floating over a mountain range, Vigurd was busy sparring with her teammate and fellow Saiyan, Bodi.  None of the them liked Bodi very much.   He was asinine.   He spent far too much time trying to sound impressive or clever, and far too little time noticing that it wasn’t working.   He also flirted with every humanoid woman within the sound of his voice.  No one liked his cheesy lines, least of all his own people, who found such blatant romantic overtures to be unseemly.  

Nevertheless, Vigurd found him to be a worthwhile sparring partner, if only because his power level was roughly the same as hers.  He hit on her just as persistently as any other woman, but she was willing to put up with it for the workout.   Besides, she had been putting up with a lot since she joined Zaperc’s gang.  

Like Bodi and the others, she had joined Zaperc because he promised them a path to achieve greater power.   He claimed to be studying the Super Saiyan who had mysteriously emerged a few years ago, and he believed that he would eventually discover how to become one himself.   Vigurd was skeptical, but she ultimately decided that Zaperc might one day succeed, and she wanted to be there when he did.  

But she soon learned that Zaperc’s followers only had the one goal in common.   As loathsome as Bodi was, the rest of the team hated each other almost as much.  Zaperc’s son Brockle was a spoiled brat, Hijik was a misogynist, Lesseri was an opportunistic coward, and Jikama was a half-Chezzi wimp.  Indeed, part of the reason Vigurd enjoyed sparring with Bodi was that it gave her an excuse to avoid the others.  At least she could tune out his pathetic pickup lines while they fought.  

Even so, Luffa had turned out to be the worst of all.  Following Zaperc had been annoying enough, but it turned out that he knew even less about the Super Saiyan than he had realized.   Vigurd was amused at first to learn that the Super Saiyan was a woman who mocked everything Zaperc had been trying to do, but then Luffa assumed command of their team, and began a training regimen of equal parts humiliation and self-righteous preaching.

It didn’t take long for Vigurd to figure out that Luffa was a hick.  Oh, her adventures had taken her to a few dozen planets, but the girl still clung to whatever backward morality her mother had probably taught her as a child.   Everything Luffa said was about honor and pride, as if either of those things mattered in a universe that was constantly trying to kill you.   But the most outdated nonsense Luffa spouted was her condemnation of Vigurd’s use of artificial gestation facilities.  

A lot of expat Saiyans still bought into the old traditions like that.   Saiyan mothers were expected to regard pregnancy as their offspring’s first battle in life.  They were supposed to set aside their own battles to ensure the birth and upbringing of their children.  They were supposed to pass down the old stories, which always seemed to be about Saiyan men getting too much credit for a lot of stuff that probably never happened in the first place.   Vigurd’s own mother had taught her the same things, although she hardly expected Vigurd to believe any of it.  

And so, when Vigurd was Luffa’s age, she became pregnant and refused to let it get in the way of her career.  The babies were brought to term, raised by caretakers, and left to fend for themselves.   It was survival of the fittest, after all.   If her sons couldn’t find the strength to manage in the real world, then there was never anything Vigurd could have done for them anyway.  

For all of Luffa’s might, she lacked the simple understanding that it was kill-or-be-killed.  Mercy, even for one’s own offspring, was an opening for your enemies to exploit.   Maybe a Super Saiyan could afford to be weak, but Vigurd couldn’t, and that was what Luffa didn’t understand.  Luffa had somehow unlocked tremendous power within herself, but it was _in spite_ of her old-fashioned values, and not _because_ of them.   And now that Luffa had become this almighty creature, she was going to ram her morality down everyone else’s throat.  

Vigurd thought about leaving the group, but just as she began to consider leaving, Luffa left the planet on some vacation outing with her alien wife.   That was the real hypocrisy of the whole thing.   Luffa expected women like Vigurd to be happy homemakers, while Luffa herself struggled to maintain a crumbling marriage to an alien floozy.  

“What are they even doing on Tingi V?” she asked aloud, as Bodi narrowly dodged one of her kicks.

 "Ah, who can say?“ Bodi mused.  He knit his brow and stroked his chin thoughtfully.  A knowing smile grew on his face as he said: "But I know they wouldn’t have as much fun as _we_ would, my little cherub.   Suppose we–”

Vigurd caught him with an energy blast to his groin.   She didn’t like to hit below the belt, especially in a training match, but he had left himself wide open, and besides, it was only Bodi.   She crossed her arms and watched as he tumbled to the mountains below.  

“Well, I hope she loosens up by the time she gets back,” Vigurd said to herself.   “Otherwise, I’m bugging out for good.”

*******

* * *

_**[1 March 234 Before Age.    Tingi V.]** _

The ground floor of the resort was a casino, and from early afternoon to late at night it was abuzz with patrons looking to spend their money on gaudily decorated games of chance.  Their excited chatter combined with the buzzes and bells of the electronic devices to produce a strangely soothing ambiance.

At one of the card tables a dealer was shuffling a pair of decks for three players.  One of them was a Saiyan in a red dress with a wig of long brown hair.  

“Well, at least I’m getting a handle on the rules,” Luffa said to the dealer as she looked over her cards.  

“You can always try a lower stakes table, ma'am,” he offered helpfully.  

“Nah, this is fine,” Luffa said.  "I can afford to lose a few more times.  Keeps me motivated.“

Luffa main problem was inexperience, but she never let that stop her before.  She had hoped to compensate with psychological warfare.  The real reason she stuck to this dealer was because he kept staring down the plunging neckline of her dress.  It wasn’t an advantage she was used to using, but Luffa wasn’t used to wearing wigs either.  This was because she wasn’t supposed to _be_ Luffa tonight.   It didn’t make any sense but she had given up trying to figure it out.  

"Mind if I sit down?”

Luffa glanced up to see her wife standing beside her, only it _wasn’t_ her wife, even though she didn’t look all that different from usual.  She had blue skin and short red hair in a bob style.  Her left eye shone a brilliant green and her right was covered with a black patch.  Her dress matched the eyepatch, though its sequins reflected the multi-colored lights of the casino.  The purse in her hand probably contained at least one weapon that she had managed to smuggle past security.  Luffa knew it was Zatte long before she approached the table.  Indeed, she had been waiting for her to show up all night long, but now she had to pretend that they didn’t know each other.  

“Suit yourself,” Luffa said, gesturing to the adjacent seat.  "Your friend can tag along too if he wants, but I’m afraid I’m not much fun to watch.“

"My friend?” Zatte asked.  

Luffa pointed her thumb over her shoulder as she laid down her cards to fold.  "That tall guy with the green hair,“ she said.  "You two looked like you were getting along pretty well.”

“Oh _him_ ,” Zatte said.  "Never saw him before tonight.  We were just playing the roto-wheel for a while, but I got bored and decided to move on.“

"Too bad for him,” Luffa said.  "You made a cute couple.“

Zatte flagged down a server and ordered a drink.  "So you’ve been watching me?” she asked.  

“Maybe,” Luffa said.  Of _course_ she had been watching Zatte.  That had been the whole point, but they were supposed to pretend they didn’t know each other.  Everything had to be a game with Zatte.  Luffa didn’t mind that most of the time, but she preferred it when she knew how to play.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Saiyan in a casino before,” Zatte said.  

“That’s because we’re all terrible gamblers,” Luffa said.  "If I need money, I just fight for it, or take it.“

"But you’re different?” Zatte asked.  

Luffa shrugged.  "I’m between assignments.  Figured this was as good a place as any to spend some downtime.  I like the atmosphere, and I can afford to practice a little.   Only trouble is my strategy isn’t working like I thought it would.“

"What’s the problem?” Zatte asked.  

Luffa examined her next hand of cards and shook her head.  "Besides the fact that I suck at card games, I’ve been trying to watch this guy’s mannerisms.  Saiyans are good at that sort of thing.  Helps you anticipate your opponent’s next move.  Read his mood, things like that.   The thing is, he just works here.  If he was playing with his own money, maybe I’d have an edge, only he doesn’t care if he wins or loses.“

"That’s clever,” Zatte said.  "I wouldn’t have thought of that.“

"Well, it’s only clever if it actually works,” Luffa muttered.  She laid her cards down and folded again.  

“It seems to me like you’ve got a solution in search of a problem,” Zatte suggested.  "You just need to play against someone with something on the line.“

She reached into her purse and produced a hotel key, which she slid across the table to Luffa.  "I’m hosting a private game in my room later tonight.  Maybe you can try out your strategy there.”

“You sure you want a _Saiyan_ at your little party?” Luffa asked.  "We have a certain… reputation.“

Zatte sipped her drink and smirked.  "You seem to know how to behave yourself,” she said.  

“That only makes me more dangerous, doesn’t it?”

“I’m willing to take that chance.  I like a little danger.”

“Is that the sort of line you used on that green-haired man?” Luffa asked.

“Why worry about him?” Zatte asked.  

“I just feel bad for him, I suppose,” Luffa said.  "He and I have something in common.“

"What’s that?”

Luffa looked at her next hand and snorted.   “We have the same taste in women.”

“I can invite him instead of you,” Zatte suggested.  "If it’d make you feel better.“

"If you want to play it _safe_ ,” Luffa said.  "Your other guests would probably appreciate it.“

"There are no other guests,” Zatte said.  "It’s a very small get-together.“  

"Not much of a pot that way.”

Zatte finished her drink, then stood up to leave.   “Drop by when you’re finished here.  If the stakes aren’t high enough for you, I’m sure I can find some _other_ way to keep you entertained.”

Luffa watched her leave and noticed a certain swagger to her walk that hadn’t been there before.  She turned back to the table, and noticed the dealer was now staring at the hotel key instead of Luffa’s chest.  

She ignored it and continued playing, losing several more hands and a small fortune in credits.  

*******

* * *

When Luffa finally arrived at the room, she didn’t bother using Zatte’s key, since she already had one of her own.  She found her wife wearing one of the terry bathrobes that came with the room.  There was a bottle of wine on the table with two glasses, but at the moment she was too busy triple-checking their luggage to notice Luffa’s entrance.  

When she finally spotted Luffa, she blurted out “Oh, hi!” then snapped back into character and tried to lean seductively against the wall.  “I mean, _hello_ ,” she said as she tugged open the  shawl collar of her robe to make it more revealing.  “You didn’t knock, but then you don’t strike me as someone who favors a _direct_ approach.”

Luffa had already taken off her wig and tossed it on the bed.  “Wait, are we still going?” she asked.  “I thought we were done.”

Zatte broke character again.  “Did you want to stop?” she asked.  

“I thought the idea was to pretend to be strangers around other people,” Luffa said.  “We’re alone up here, so I figured we were done.”

“Well, I thought we’d play a few hands to set the mood,” Zatte said.  

“Hold on, you _actually_ wanted to play cards?” Luffa asked.  “I thought that was just a pretext to get me into your room.”

“Well, I hadn’t thought that far ahead,” Zatte said.  “It was going to be, you know, sexy cards.”

Luffa sat on the bed and took off her shoes.  “I’ll do whatever you want, Zattie, but let me do it barefoot for a while, at least.”

“You were great down there, Luffa,” she said enthusiastically.  “There were times I could almost believe you were someone else.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” she said, “because I honestly have no idea what I’m doing half the time.”

“It’s therapy,” Zatte said.  “Dr. Shunga said we needed to spend some quality time together.  Work on communicating without telepathy.”

“Fine, but he never said anything about all this role-playing nonsense,” Luffa groused.  “What’s the point of acting like we’re other people?”

Zatte went back to inspecting their luggage.  “Because we do it all the time anyway,” she said.  “You’re a celebrity, so you have to wear wigs or cover your tail to keep a low profile, and I don’t want people to find out I’m a Dorlun.  And it’s kind of fun sharing a secret with you.  I guess I just like adding more secrets on top of that, especially for frivolous reasons.”  

“If you say so,” Luffa said.  

“I think you’d get more into the spirit of things if you would play a different species,” Zatte said.  “Like a felinoid  mining executive.”

“What the hell do I know about _mining_?” Luffa asked.  

“As much as I do, so what’s the difference?” Zatte said.  “We’re just pretending, so you can make stuff up.”

“All right, I’ll give it a shot,” Luffa said, “but I still don’t understand.”

“It’s about being more than yourself, Luffa,” Zatte tried to explain.  “I feel a little weird too, but playing a character helps me loosen up.   This way you get to be seduced by an exotic Avoirdupoian socialite instead of watching a Dorlun you already know fretting over how many clean socks you have left.”

“I like it when you triple-check the luggage,” Luffa said.  

Zatte stared at her.   “No, you think it’s dumb.”

“I never said that,” Luffa insisted.  

“You _thought_ it,” Zatte pressed.  “I’m going to keep doing it anyway, but you don’t have to patronize me.”

“I’m _not_ –!” Luffa stopped herself before her voice grew any louder.   “We’re doing it again,” she said after a deep breath.  “We’re taking something we picked up from each other’s minds and blowing it out of proportion.”

Zatte rolled her good eye.  “You say that every time you get caught in a lie, Luffa.  ‘Oh, we shouldn’t argue.   Remember what Dr. Shunga said.’”

“Bull,” Luffa muttered.  “ _You_ were the one who wanted to start seeing him, and he takes _your_ side the whole time.”

“ _My_ side?!  Oh that’s rich.  Then why does he always blame _me_ every time we link our minds together, even though it’s _your_ power?”

Luffa set her jaw.   “Probably because you’re always cajoling me into using it,” she said through her teeth.  “I half-suspect you only do this role-play nonsense to confuse me so much that I’ll read your mind to understand it better.  And then you’ll just catch some stray thought about me not liking your butt or something, and I’ll catch hell for that!  I can’t win.”

“All you _care about_ is winning!” Zatte said.   “You only ever– Wait, what’s wrong with my butt?”

“It’s got a big crack in it,” Luffa snorted.   She took a moment to revel in her brilliant joke, but then she saw Zatte backing towards a mirror above the dresser.  “There’s _nothing wrong_ with your butt, Zattie!” Luffa shouted.  

Only there was _something_ wrong with it.  Whatever the flaw, even if it was too insignificant to describe, it still existed in Luffa’s mind, whether she consciously admitted it or not.  Nothing in life ever quite lined up to one’s imagined ideals.  For most couples, this was a matter of accepting one another as they were, not in spite of their imperfections, but because of them.  

The problem, Luffa knew, was that they had grown over-reliant on using telepathy to share their most intimate feelings.  It was just an easier way to communicate, one that bypassed the cultural barrier between them.  When they joined minds, Luffa’s pride dissolved into mist, and Zatte’s insecurities faded into the background, leaving nothing to get in the way of their mutual affection.  But this also exposed them to less pleasant feelings: petty resentments and half-formed thoughts that didn’t even make sense most of the time.  

True telepaths learned to filter out these intrusive thoughts, or to accept them as irrelevancies in the greater truths of the mind, but Luffa’s mental abilities were something she had stumbled upon mostly by accident.   She had found ways to develop them for combat purposes, but she lacked precision and control.  It was easy to mentally interrogate an enemy, or to communicate with an ally, but she found that she typically took more away than the information she sought.  

Dr. Shunga had asked them to cease their telepathic activities, and while this had helped, it also left them to deal with the resentments that  they had already created during past rapports.   Only now they had to deal with it across the cultural and emotional gulfs they were used to bypassing.   Literally anything could spark an argument.  This time it was Zatte triple-checking the luggage.  Six weeks ago it was Luffa’s ears.   There had been a month where they had stopped speaking to one another over a matter involving dental floss.    

The counseling sessions had helped, but– as Dr. Shunga often reminded them–it was _their_ marriage, and _they_ would have to be the ones to put in the real work to save it.    By Luffa’s way of thinking, the true sign of improvement was that the arguments were getting shorter and easier to resolve, and the honest communication that followed was growing more productive.  

There were times, however, when Luffa missed Kandai, her husband from her first marriage.  It was another stray thought she hoped Zatte wouldn’t come across, but in spite of Kandai’s treachery, at least he had been a fellow Saiyan.  Marital bickering was considered a healthy part of Saiyan matrimony, since both parties understood that it couldn’t be taken too seriously.   When they were truly fighting, they did it literally, with fists, and the difference in their power levels had made this very rare.   At least then, Luffa had felt like she knew where she stood.  

Zatte was different.  She would joke around one minute and then make a cutting remark that hurt more than Kandai’s strongest blow.   Dorluns didn’t fight their spouses physically; they used words to hurt one another, and Luffa had found Zatte to be especially deadly in this regard.   There were times when Zatte almost seemed disappointed that Luffa couldn’t keep up with her taunts and jibes.  

Still, they were making progress.  They each weathered the storm, and eventually the apologies came like rays of sunshine, and slowly but surely they began to make up.  

“I _respect_ your triple-checking the luggage,” Luffa clarified.   It seemed easier to find the right words when she was holding Zatte in her arms two hours later.    “It may be unnecessary, but you don’t do it because you need to.  It’s a discipline, and discipline is important to me.”

“I wish you would have put it that way before,” Zatte said as she kissed her on the cheek.  

“I… I just never had to put it into words before,” Luffa said.  

“The thing is,” Zatte said, “Keda managed to stow away in my carryall when we went to Extraliga.  She said I didn’t catch her because I only double-checked it that day.”

“Oh…”

Tears were welling up in her good eye.  “I _know_ we agreed not to blame ourselves for what happened, but… I can’t help thinking she might still be alive if I hadn’t gotten sidetracked–”

Luffa held her close and mimicked a shushing sound Zatte often used to console Luffa when she was the one who needed it.     As she did this, she began to speculate, and then she remembered something Dr. Shunga had said in a session.   So instead of guessing what Zatte was thinking, she voiced her guess aloud, to see if it was correct.  

“I think I see now why you wanted us to pretend to be strangers downstairs,” Luffa said.  “Not so I’d get so confused that I’d have to read your mind to understand, but so that we could have a fresh start.  Set aside our problems for a while.”

Zatte smiled.  “You finally got it, you lunkhead.”

Luffa chuckled.   “Well then, how about we try something tomorrow…”

**NEXT: Performance Review.**


	74. Chapter 74

_**[2 March 234 Before Age.  Tingi V]** _

There was a conference room on the second floor of the resort, which the building’s architects had included more out of habit than necessity.    On the off-chance that a high-powered executive wanted to hold an important meeting in a noisy and hedonistic pleasure palace, there was a place ready and waiting for just such a purpose, with room for at least a dozen humanoids.  

Zatte was walking around the table, admiring the tantalum-plating on the trimmed edges, when Luffa entered the room.  She was two minutes early.  

“Dr. Yokan, welcome to Tingis V,” Zatte said with a professional nod.  She crossed the table to shake Luffa’s hand.   Both women were dressed in whatever business attire they had been able to find the night before  The coat of Luffa’s pantsuit was a little big on her shoulders, but it wasn’t like she planned to wear it often.  

“A pleasure, Ms. Dracham,” Luffa said in an even tone.  

“I must admit, it is strange to see you like this,” Zatte began.  "You seem to be adjusting well to your… transplant.“

Luffa snorted.  "Compared to my original body, anything would be an improvement,” she said.  "I’ve always found Saiyans to be very useful.  This one makes a most effective vessel.“

"And quite attractive, if I may say so,” Zatte added.   “If you need money to fund your experiments, Doctor, you could always give up mercenary work to pursue exotic dancing.”

“I’d prefer to get to business,” Luffa said coldly.  

“Of course,”  Zatte said as she sat on the edge of the table.  "I’ve been reviewing the profiles you sent me for your team.   I’d like to discuss them before we begin negotiations.“

Their roles were fictional, but the ‘business’ was real enough.  In reality, Luffa and Zatte had spent the last month training a band of Saiyans who had been trying to follow in Luffa’s footsteps.  Until recently, none of them had ever met Luffa, and their leader, Zaperc, had based most of his teachings off of a self-help book that had been marketed as an unauthorized biography of Luffa.   The book was wildly inaccurate, and Luffa had been so disgusted with their practices that she resolved to straighten them out herself.  Zatte was happy to help, since she considered herself to be a disciple of Luffa’s in a manner of speaking, and she was hopeful that she and Zaperc’s group could connect over this.  

The trip to Tingis V seemed like a good opportunity to review the Saiyans’ progress, and so they had planned to discuss it over dinner, until Luffa suggested this scenario instead.  "Dr. Yokan” was a compromise.   Luffa was uneasy playing non-Saiyan roles, so Zatte suggested an alien whose brain inhabited a Saiyan’s body.  

“Let me be clear,” Luffa said.  "I won’t be joining these Saiyans in the field.   Zaperc will be in command of the mission.“

"He’s certainly experienced enough,” Zatte said as she shuffled a stack of papers.   “And I admire his idealism.   It’s good for employees to have their own motivation.”

Luffa sat in one of the chairs and crossed her arms.  "He’s fixated on the Super Saiyan legend,“ she said.  "He knows how to inspire the others and keep them working together, but he relies to much on what he’s read in books.  And he favors his son over the others, which could be a problem.”

“Then let’s talk about the son,” Zatte said.  "Brockle’s the strongest, yes?   And very resourceful.   He’s shown a lot of improvement over the past month.   Your pet Dorlun speaks very highly of him in her reports.“

"She’s too charitable,” Luffa muttered.   “Brockle’s strong, but unprincipled.  He doesn’t care about anything but himself, which means he doesn’t care if he wins or loses.”

“There’s nothing wrong with a healthy sense of self-preservation, is there?” Zatte asked.  

“Not at all,” Luffa said, “but too much self-interest can lead to problems in the mercenary business.   Brockle has to be willing to take other people’s problems as his own.   He wants your money, Ms. Dracham, but he doesn’t want to be responsible for your interests.   I’m trying to break him of that.”

“I see,” Zatte said.   “Let’s move on to Bodi then.”

“He has promise,” Luffa admitted.   “His constant flirting is a problem, but only if you happen to be in the same room with him.  I didn’t know a Saiyan could be so shameless until I met him.”

“Agreed,” Zatte said.  "He’s conscientious in a quiet sort of way, but not exceptional.  He keeps their base clean, and gets along well with the others.   I wouldn’t put him in charge, but he seems to have become a good team player.  Which is more than I can say for Hijik…“

Luffa looked up at the ceiling in frustration.  "Hijik,” she groaned.  

“His attitude _has_ improved over the past month,” Zatte offered.  

“I’ll be blunt, Ms. Dracham,” Luffa said, “Hijik’s contempt for women is typical for the Saiyan race.  What’s really astonishing is the way he tries to turn his insecurities into some sort of hare-brained political manifesto.”

“Some would say that a soldier’s opinions don’t matter,” Zatte suggested.  "As long as he gets the job done, he can hold whatever toxic worldview he pleases.“

"A sick mind infects the entire body, sooner or later,” Luffa replied.  "He blames women for all his problems, because it’s easier than confronting his own weaknesses.  If he was actually stronger than all women, he’d just find some other thing to blame.  As it is, he can’t beat me, so he makes excuses.   The only thing he ever respected was the Super Saiyan, but only when he believed the Super Saiyan was a man who would have been just like him.  He refuses to learn anything that contradicts what he already thinks.   Prove him wrong, and he just gets resentful about it.“  

"But he has shown you greater respect recently,”  Zatte observed.  "He even defers to the Dorlun now.“

"Only out of fear,” Luffa grumbled.  "A _dog_ can learn that much.   You want _soldiers_ defending your holdings.   I’m not sure Hijik qualifies as one.“

"You think he’d fold at the first sign of adversity?”  

Luffa nodded.  "He’s the worst kind of loser, the type who embraces defeat and tries to justify it with a lot of philosophical rambling.  In a pinch, he’d abandon your cause, Ms. Dracham.  Then he’d claim that you had set him up to fail, and that he was right to lose the battle because you were trying to emasculate him somehow.“

"All right,” Zatte said.  "Let’s move on to the women.   Lesseri seems to be the most professional of the team.  She reminds me of another Saiyan mercenary I knew once.“

Luffa raised an eyebrow at this.   "I’m not sure your friend would take that as a compliment,” she said with a harrumph.  "Lesseri’s disciplined enough.  She knows her way around military hardware.   Not as strong as Brockle, but she makes up for it in common sense.“

"You’re right,” Zatte said with a smirk.  "Those are terrible qualities.  I should apologize to my friend the next time I see her.“

"My point is that she lacks the passion to drive those qualities to their fullest potential,” Luffa went on.  "Brockle’s immature, but at least he wants to get stronger, even if it’s just to please his father.  Lesseri wants to _be_ successful, but she doesn’t want to put in the work.   All she’s interested in is stuffing her bank account with credits and racking up victories any way she can.    Self-improvement for its own sake doesn’t mean anything to her.“  

Zatte stroked the tip of her chin with her thumb.   "Another loser who justifies their failures, is that what you’re telling me?”

Luffa nodded.  "She’s not as delusional as Hijik, but it amounts to the same problem.   A potentially great warrior who’s content to remain average.  I blame it on her upbringing.   A brat needs parents to teach them these things.“

"What about Vigurd?” Zatte said.   “I’d say she’s taken your lessons to heart.  As much as Hijik hates the idea of taking instruction from a woman, Vigurd seems to relish it.”

“She’s too ruthless,” Luffa muttered.  "She uses it as a crutch.   Thinks raising children is a waste of time, as if there’s nothing to be gained from reviewing the basics with a kid.  And is she really any stronger for all the shortcuts she’s taken?“

Zatte waited for her to continue, and when the pause was long enough, she decided to move on.   "Well, that just leaves-”

“Honestly, I think they’re all looking for a shortcut,” Luffa suddenly said.  "Zaperc discovered that book and thought it would help him or his son get stronger, and the others threw in with him for the same reason.   They’ll follow orders, and they’ll train, but they’ll never get it.   They want a set of instructions to follow.   A secret formula that skips all the hard parts.“

Zatte screwed up her face as she regarded Luffa.  It wasn’t surprising that Luffa should be so hard on her students, but it sort of conflicted with the characters they were playing.   "Dr. Yokan” was _supposed_ to be selling this team’s services, but so far she seemed to be talking herself out of a contract.  

“Does that analysis cover Jikama as well?” Zatte asked in an effort to keep Luffa on track.   “I’ve found him to be… er, _your Dorlun aide_ tells me he’s handled the training very well.”

“Of course he has,” Luffa said.  "He’s only half-Saiyan.“

She had stopped looking at Zatte, and had put her elbows on the table so she could lean forward and rest her head on her hands as she stared pensively at the surface.  Zatte waited for Luffa to explain, but she never did.  

"I… know he’s half-Saiyan,” Zatte said.   “His mother is Chezzi.  That’s how Zaperc chose Nat-Chezz for their base of operations.  What about it?”

Luffa sighed.  "It means that what works for him may not work for the others,“ she said.    Mixed-bloods are tricky to measure.  They’re often less powerful than full-blooded Saiyans, or they lack the Saiyan fighting spirit, or both.   Jikama seems motivated and attentive, but that might only be because he’s protecting his planet and his mother’s people.   That won’t carry over to the others, and whatever will work for them might not be effective for him.”

“You make it sound like you’ve already given up on him,” Zatte said.  

“I already have,” Luffa said.  "He’s welcome to learn whatever he can from me, but I’m keeping my expectations low.“

"He’s one of your own people,” Zatte objected.  Now she was the one breaking character, but that no longer mattered in light of what she was hearing.   “Are you really writing him off because he’s half-alien?”

“There’s going to be things he can’t do as well, Zattie,” Luffa said.   “I don’t hold it against him.   He’s got the makings of a fine warrior.   But among Saiyans, he’ll always be second-class.   He knows that as well as I do.   I wouldn’t expect you to understand.”

“No, I suppose I don’t,” Zatte said.   “All right, fine.   So we’ve been working with this bunch for a month.   They’ve tightened up their teamwork and they’ve got a better handle on how to fight a defensive war, but that’s about it.   Their attitudes still stink, and they’ll probably never live up to your expectations.   Where do we go from here, _xan'nil-Dor_?”

Luffa groaned as she leaned back in her chair.  "I don’t know,“ she said.   "I like Planet Nat-Chezz’s prospects, at least in the long term.  They could always hire a more professional squad to defend their planet and use what they’ve learned from working with us.   And Jikama’s descendants could end up becoming a nice little warrior tribe in a century or two.   Hell, Bodi might settle down and start a family himself.   It’s the Saiyans I’m worried about.  I don’t mean these seven.   I mean all Saiyans, everywhere.”

Zatte sat down beside her and took her hand.  "You’ve been saying things like that since we first met Zaperc’s gang,“ she said.  "I keep thinking you’re just in one of your moods, but this is different.   What’s eating you, Luffa?”  

“You remember that fight we had a while back?” Luffa asked.  

Zatte laughed.  "Only the last thousand or so.   You’ll have to narrow it down for me, buster.“

"Eight months ago, I think.   I read your mind and picked up something about how you thought I’d _changed_ so much since we first met.   And I didn’t take it very well…”

“Oh _that_ one,” Zatte said.   “I thought you were going to put me off the ship, you were so angry.”  

“I was upset because I didn’t want it to be true,” Luffa said.  "I’ve become so different from other Saiyans already, and everyone keeps trying to make it out like I turned into something _else_ , like a mutant or a goddess or whatever.  I’m stronger and… glowier… but I’m still a Saiyan.  I’m still _me_.“

"I know,” Zatte said.  

“But I have changed,” Luffa said.  "I was just afraid to admit it, because it felt like I was giving up my identity.   Like that green haired guy you were flirting with last night.“

"You’re still worried over him?” Zatte asked.  "Look, all I did was talk to him–“

Luffa shook her head  "I know.   What I mean is, I felt bad for the guy because we were doing this silly character thing and he wasn’t in on the gag.   He probably doesn’t even care, but somehow it still bugs me.”  

“Well, when you put it that way,” Zatte said, “I suppose it was a little unfair to lead him on, even if it was just for a few minutes.   I only did it to get a rise out of you, and I guess it worked, but this wasn’t quite what I had in mind.”

“What I’m saying is, I don’t even know the guy,” Luffa said.  "A few years ago, I would have just as soon killed him if he got in my way.   Now I’m worried that we might have hurt his feelings.“  

She stood up and pulled her hand away from Zatte’s.   "At first I thought it was this telepathy thing, that I was contaminating my mind with other people’s thoughts, but it’s more than that.   I had to be extremely careful when I first turned into a Super Saiyan.   I’ve gotten used to being this strong, but I still think before I act a lot more than I used to.    It’s given me a perspective that most Saiyans wouldn’t have.   Meeting Zaperc and the others, it’s hard to ignore that.”  

“That doesn’t mean you’re not a Saiyan anymore, Luffa,” Zatte assured her.   “You’ve grown as a person, that’s all.”

“No, there’s more to it than just that,” Luffa said.  "I’ve always been different.   Kandai knew it, and I think my father did too.  I love fighting.   Every Saiyan does, but they were never as excited about it as I was.   I used to think they were just being mellow, or that I was trying to compensate for how weak I used to be, but now…“

"I have to admit,” Zatte said,  "You always made Saiyans sound more noble than the ones I’ve met.   It’s like you’re following a different set of rules than the rest of them.“

"Yeah,” Luffa said.  "My mother taught me everything I know about the Saiyan race.  Who we are, where we came from.   Sometimes I don’t think even she took it all seriously, but I did.  I thought everyone else did too.    When my father betrayed me, I thought he was the exception, but then Kandai was in on it, and…“

"You were hoping Zaperc and his followers would be different,” Zatte said.   “They already sort of admired you, so you thought they might be more like the kind of Saiyans you could get along with.”

Luffa crossed her arms and turned to face her.  "I mean, it’s stupid, really.   I’m whining to you about all this, when you’re the one who’s really alone.   We haven’t come across another Dorlun in over a year.“

"Part of me is grateful for that, to be honest,” Zatte said.  "I decided you were a _xan'nil-Dor_ , someone sacred.   The rules say I’m not supposed to do that on my own, but I don’t have a choice right now.  If we ever do find a Dorlun settlement, the first thing I’ll need to do is submit you to a council of community elders and let them make the final decision.   I always worry what might happen if they reject my claim.“

"Why?” Luffa asked.  "It’s not like you need to be right about this.“

"But I _am_ right,” Zatte said.  "I _know_ I am.   And if they don’t agree with me, I’ll have to turn my back on them, and then I’ll be just as alone as I am right now.   As alone as you probably feel in a room full of Saiyans, I suppose.“

Luffa considered this for a minute, then tugged at the collar of her blouse.  "That’s why we’re really wearing these disguises, isn’t it?” she said with an amused sniff.   “It’s not so we can escape.  It’s so we can blend in, and pretend we’re not alone for a while.”

“I hadn’t thought of it that way,” Zatte said.  

Luffa took Zatte by the hands and pulled her gently out of the chair.  "Let’s go back to Nat-Chezz,“ she said.  

"Right now?” Zatte asked.  "We’ve got two more nights reserved.“

"We’ll get dinner first, at least,” Luffa said.   “But I think we ought to get back to work.   Maybe we can figure out how to get through to these Saiyans.”

“You seem confident all of a sudden.”

“Well, it’s been about sixteen hours since our last argument,” Luffa said.  "If we can communicate with each other that well, then anything’s possible.“

*******

* * *

_**[2 March 234 Before Age.  Awlnee III.]** _

Things hadn’t gone well for Yarrow since his partner had died.  At the time, he had written off Okartish as weak.  Any Saiyan who could be slain so easily deserved his fate.    Okartish’s assassin had tried to take out Yarrow as well, and Yarrow had killed her almost effortlessly.    Clearly, Okartish was dead weight.  Their partnership had been fruitful, but this was a sign that it was time for Yarrow to strike out on his own, or so he had believed.

As things turned out, Yarrow gained a new appreciation for Okartish’s contributions to their team.  As a solo operator, Yarrow had no one to watch his back in battle.  Once, while looting a planet in the Narl Cluster, a thief broke into his ship and stole key engine components.  In the time it took Yarrow to recover the parts and repair his ship, the planet’s defenders had summoned reinforcements.  In his haste to escape, he had been forced to leave most of his plunder behind.  Yarrow had dealt with other hassles, too, but the worst of these was the long trips through space.  Okartish always had a joke or a story to tell, and he knew his way around alien women, which came in handy at spaceports.  He used to enjoy the downtime between missions, but now he dreaded the long days of solitude.

But it couldn’t be helped.  Okartish was still dead whether Yarrow appreciated him or not, and Yarrow was still greedy enough that he wasn’t in any hurry to share his spoils with a new partner.  Instead, he saved his money and purchased a state-of-the-art entertainment system for his ship.  Now, instead of staring at the stars on the main viewscreen, he could watch movies, sporting events, cockfighting tournaments, and anything else he could pick up on the ship’s subspace antenna.  It even included a library of interactive games, though he had no idea how to play them.  It hardly mattered, since he would have plenty of time to practice.  His next target was a rich and isolated world in the Coldin Sector, and it would take nearly two months for him to reach it.

For the first time in what felt like ages, he was actually looking forward to a long trip.  When he had finished his meal, he barked for the waiter to bring his bill, and rushed out the door to get back to his ship.    He couldn’t decide what to watch first, but there was no hurry.  It would be fun just to navigate through the multitude of options for a while.  Once the hatch of his ship was finally opened, he hurried inside and headed straight for the cockpit.

He was halfway down the corridor when he heard voices… and _music_.

Yarrow reached out with his senses, but the only life energy he could detect aboard the ship was his own.  He moved cautiously down the rest of the corridor and found the cockpit dark and empty, except for the movie playing on the viewscreen.  He turned on the lights and found an assortment of empty bottles and food containers on the floor, and the seat of his chair was covered in crumbs.

His first assessment was that someone had broken into his ship again, but it didn’t make sense for a thief to lounge around and watch a movie.  He pulled up a diagnostic report on the ship’s computer to see if any parts were missing, but everything was all accounted for.  The intruder might have tampered with the diagnostic sensors, but why bother?  If he was long gone, it didn’t matter if Yarrow knew what he stole.  And from the mess in the cockpit, he certainly wasn’t trying to cover his tracks.

This suggested that the intruder had broken in just to watch some movies and eat Yarrow’s snacks.  But that was ridiculous.  There were dozens of larger vessels with better accomodations, and none of those involved risking the wrath of an angry Saiyan.

Then he heard someone say the word "Saiyan” on the viewscreen, and he finally noticed which movie was playing.    It was that ridiculous Luffa movie.  He had never watched it himself, but he had seen enough  advertisements to recognize the lead actress playing the title character.  She was an attractive girl, but too young and thin and delicate to look like a credible warrior, and her tail was all wrong.

A lot of Saiyans considered Luffa to be a myth, or an alien posing as a Saiyan.  No one could ever agree on the details, and even Luffa’s gender was hotly disputed in some circles.  Yarrow had no opinion on the matter, except that the movie he was now seeing was a lousy depiction of how Saiyans actually lived.

He wondered if the intruder was an obsessed fan of the film.  Perhaps they had picked his ship because it belonged to a Saiyan, out of some delusional hope that it would bring them one step closer to the imaginary world of the movie.  But how did they get in?  For that matter, how did they get out again?  After the trouble in the Narl Cluster, he’d rigged the ship to require a security code to open the hatches from the inside.

And just as he started to wonder if the intruder was still on board, he felt a pinprick on the back of his neck.  Instinctively, he swung his arm around to strike back at whatever had hit him, but there was nothing there.  He looked around the cockpit desperate, rubbing his neck with frustration, and then he started to become woozy.  He stumbled towards the ship’s computer terminal, though he wasn’t sure what he planned to do once he got there.  When he finally made it, all he managed was to drop to his knees and slump over the controls.

“The poison will finish you in a few minutes,” announced a familiar voice.  "It’ll be less painful if you lie still, but it’s entirely up to you.“

He felt a burning sensation in his muscles.  In spite of her warning, he forced himself to look up to find the source of the voice.  And there she was, perched on the seatback of his chair, looking as if she’d been there the entire time.

"In case you’re interested,” she said, “Okartish preferred to lie still.”

“Y-You!” he gasped.  It even hurt to speak, and he was having trouble breathing, but he was too horrified to stop.  "I _killed_ you…!“

"The joke’s on you, Saiyan,” she said as she picked up a bag of snacks on the armrest and began to eat.  "I was already dead.“

He wanted to know what that meant.  He wanted to know how she had found him and why she was doing this, but the burning sensation in his body finally became too intense, and he fell to the deck.  A few feet away, his murderer sat in his chair and watched the rest of the movie while she waited for him to die.

"Aw, this is my favorite part,” she said as she rustled the bag in her hands.  She continued to comment aloud on the movie as she watched, but Yarrow would never hear it.

NEXT: Trial by Fire


	75. Chapter 75

_**[6 March 234 Before Age.  Nat-Chezz II.]** _

When Zaperc led the Saiyans to Nat-Chezz II, their plan had been to defend the planet against any would-be invaders.   The idea was to imitate what the Super Saiyan Luffa had achieved with her establishment of an interplanetary Federation.   Instead of seeking out easy battles, they would stand their ground and try to cultivate a reputation as a force to be reckoned with.    This would in turn attract even stronger invaders, giving the Saiyans a chance to become stronger themselves as they repelled them.   At least, this was the theory.

In practice, Zaperc’s followers were virtually indistinguishable from the sort of invaders they pledged to drive off.    Upon arrival, they declared martial law, shut down much of the planet’s communications, and helped themselves to whatever supplies and treasure they wished.  The Chezzi people had endured worse occupations in the past, so they tolerated the situation for a time, but they still breathed a sigh of relief when Luffa discovered their plight and intervened.  

In the weeks that followed, Luffa subjected these Saiyans to intense training, determined to mold the band into the sort of champions they had claimed to be.   The Chezzi King had allowed them to keep the mansion they had appropriated, but all the treasure they had taken was returned, and the Saiyans spent most of their days drilling in the wilderness or conducting war games with the Chezzi military.   When their work for the day was finished, they convened at their manor and feasted on whatever luckless animals they happened to find during their training exercises.  

“That’s what I like about you, Jikama,” Lesseri said as she ripped hunks of flesh from a carcass on the table.  “You may be half-Chezzi, but at least you eat like a Saiyan.  I knew a mixed-blood on Siphone II.  Guy had no appetite at all.  Creepy.”

“Thanks… I think,” Jikama said between bites.  “So, any word on when Luffa’s coming back?”

“Nothing new,” Vigurd said as she drank an entire pot of stew and wiped her mouth on her forearm.  “What’s wrong, Jikama?  You miss that gilded blowhard already?”

“I just enjoyed her cooking,” he said awkwardly.  “Not that there’s anything wrong with this, but we’ve been roasting animals on a spit for a week now.  I could go for some of that insect crumb of hers.”

“Insect crumb, my foot!” Lesseri scoffed.   “Don’t listen to him, Vigurd.  He just wants another pat on the head from _Zattie_.”

Jikama chuckled at this.  Of all the Saiyans in Zaperc’s group, he had shown the most improvement in tracking Zatte through dense foliage.   Luffa’s alien wife lacked Saiyan power, but she could make herself virtually undetectable, and she was armed with advanced weaponry and a talent for asymmetrical warfare.     She had praised him a number of times in front of Luffa and the other Saiyans, which had earned him a lot of teasing from his comrades.   Not wishing to antagonize any of them, he smiled and tried to take it in stride.  

“If you asked me, it’d be just as well if she never came back,” muttered Brockle.   He sat at the head of the table, nursing a flagon of ale while he devoured a plate of spare ribs.

“Please, Brockle,” Vigurd laughed.  “We’ve all seen you leer at her when you think no one’s watching.  You miss _Zattie_ more than Jikama does.”

“Yeah,” Lesseri added.   “Don’t take it personally, Brockle.  You’re just not her type, if you know what I mean.”

The two women laughed, and Jikama tried to delicately suggest that maybe they shouldn’t make a habit of calling her “Zattie”, when Brockle slammed his fist on the table.  

“I’m not _talking_ about the damned alien,”  he said.   “I meant Luffa.”

“I wouldn’t let your father hear you talk that way,” Vigurd warned.  

“I’ve learned all I need to know from the Super Saiyan,” Brockle insisted.  “I’m getting stronger every day, and before long I’ll be powerful enough to surpass her.”

“No offense, kid,” Lesseri said, “but get real.  We’ve all felt the _ki_ Luffa puts off.   You’re nowhere near her level.”  

He stood up and raised his fists.  “I’m more than a match for you, Lesseri!” he shouted.  

She nodded and sipped her drink.  “You’re right, but being stronger than _me_ doesn’t change anything, does it?”  

“I have the potential to beat her!” he insisted.   “I know it!”

“Maybe so,” Vigurd said, “but until you do, you’ll have to put up with her crap like the rest of us.   Unless she’s dumb enough to get killed in spaceflight.   I wonder if someone could sneak an explosive on that ship of hers without her noticing…”

“Now what would _that_ accomplish?” Lesseri asked.  

“Oh, I’m just thinking out loud,” Vigurd chuckled.  She finished her meal and patted her sizable belly with satisfaction.  “People would pay a fortune to hire the mercenary who slew the Super Saiyan, wouldn’t they?”

“Not once the word gets around that she’s just a run-of-the-mill Saiyan like a hundred thousand others available for hire,” Lesseri noted.   “All you’d prove is that you know how to set a time-bomb.”

“Wouldn’t someone else try to bomb your ship?” Jikama suggested.    “Then they could cash in on being the one to kill the mercenary who killed the Super Saiyan.”

Lesseri pointed a table knife at Jikama.  “See?  He’s only half-Saiyan and he gets it.”

“I don’t know why my father put up with you fools,” Brockle grumbled.  

“Because he knows he needs all the help he can get to keep his son from getting himself killed,” Lesseri said.   “Maybe you _were_ in line to serve in Rehval’s elite guard, but you fouled that gig up, and now you’ve got to scrape together a living like the rest of us merc trash.   You don’t have to _like_ us, Brockle.   You don’t have to like Luffa either, or her blue-skinned devil girl, for that matter, but you still need us for the time being.”

He opened his mouth to respond, when suddenly all four of them gasped with shock and turned to look up at the sky.   There was nothing to see, at least not with the naked eye, but the _ki_ they had sensed was powerful enough to be sensed, even from outer space.  

“Is that… Luffa?” Vigurd asked.  

“It can’t be,” Brockle said.   “It feels completely different.    And there’s… _two_ of them.”

“Jikama, contact the Chezzi military,” Lesseri said.   “We’ll need telemetry on that ship.”

“Huh?   Oh, right!” he said as he scrambled out of his seat.   While he took off into the air, she turned to Brockle.  

“Go find your father,” she said.  “Looks like we finally have a fight on our hands.”

“I don’t take orders from you, woman!” he said indignantly.  

“That’s right, you don’t,” she said.  “We _both_ take orders from your _father_ , and I’d like to start taking some before whatever that is gets here, so hurry up and find him!”

He muttered obscenities under his breath as he got up from the table, promising himself that she would pay for her disrespect, but Lesseri didn’t care as long as he did as she asked.  

She looked to Vigurd next.  “Do me a favor and prep Zaperc’s ship for launch.”

“What?” Vigurd asked.   “You want to run?”

“Right now I want to keep my options open,” Lesseri said.   “Without Luffa to back us up, I don’t know if we can beat these guys, and I don’t know if Zaperc’s sensible enough to order a retreat.  I don’t know about you, but I’d like an escape route handy.”

“You know, so would I, now that you mention it,” Vigurd said after a moment’s consideration.  

“Yes, I thought you might,” Lesseri said after Vigurd flew off.

*******

* * *

Two hours later, Zaperc was with Hijik in the throneroom of the King of Nat-Chezz, accompanied by several high-ranking military commanders.   They had been discussing plans to destroy the incoming vessel  before it could deploy its forces, when suddenly an image of two women appeared in the center of the room.    

Both of them had pale, almost transparent skin.  The shorter of the two was almost completely concealed beneath a black cloak.  Only her bare feet and lower shins were visible below the hem, and the hood of her cloak revealed only the portion of her face below her eyes.    Her nose and mouth were contorted into a cruel sneer.  

The taller woman was adorned in black leather up to her chest, which added emphasis to her large, muscular arms.  An iron helmet concealed her eyes as well, though a dark, horizontal slot on the front presumably allowed her to see out of it.  Lengths of wire hung from the back of the helmet, almost as if to serve as a crude substitute for hair.   Her lips were stretched to reveal her clenched teeth, as though she were constantly on the verge of biting someone.

“Are they holograms?” the king asked.  

“I think they’re some sort of _ki_ constructs, Sire,” Zaperc said cautiously.   “Hijik, can you sense them too?”

Hijik nodded, and curled his tail around his waist.  Before he could give his own opinion on the images, the cloaked one addressed the room.

“Hail, King of Nat-Chezz.  I am Ünderlyne, and this is Stryquethru.   Henceforth, we shall be the new masters of your world.”

~~“Long have we coveted your scandium resources, King of the Chezzi,”~~ Stryquethru growled through her teeth.   ~~“You will surrender your world to us, or we shall take it by force.      Doubtless you have warriors who can already sense our power approaching your world.  They will tell you that we cannot be defeated.   Heed their warning and surrender to us!”~~

“Surrender, and you shall be shown… mercy…” promised Ünderlyne, though her tone lacked sincerity.   “The tender mercies of Stryquethru and Ünderlyne…  Oh how we beg you to submit.”

 ~~“Resist,”~~ Stryquethru seethed, ~~“and your people shall suffer terribly!   Woe to the defiant!   For there is no refuge from our wrath!”~~  

“Woe!” wailed Ünderlyne.  

 ~~“Woe!”~~ added Stryquethru.

 ~~“Wooooooooeeeeee!”~~ they howled in unison.  

As their voices faded, so too did their images, and the message appeared to be concluded.   The king looked to his advisors, and then to the two Saiyans, desperate for counsel.    

“At current velocity, we expect them to reach the planet in two hours, Sire,” said one of the generals.

“My son Brockle may be able to destroy their ship before it reaches the atmosphere, Sire,” Zaperc said.   “If not, I would recommend deploying our forces here…”

“Is this a _joke_?!” Hijik yelled.  

Suddenly, everyone in the room fell silent, and all eyes were looking to him.  

“It’s _obviously_ a trick!” Hijik said.  “Am I the only one who _sees_ it?”

“Hijik, what are you _talking about_?” Zaperc demanded.  “We don’t have time for–”

“That was _Luffa_ , of course!” Hijik said.  “Luffa and her alien ‘partner’ or whatever she calls it!  They left the planet days ago, frustrated that we weren’t jumping through their hoops fast enough for them, so they dreamed up this phony invasion as some pathetic team-building exercise!”  

Silence fell upon the room again.   At last, the king spoke.   “Zaperc, could he be right?   Would the Super Saiyan do such a thing?”

Zaperc hesitated.   He had studied Luffa’s career for over two years, only to find that the real Luffa was very different from what his sources had told him.  She had been testing them for weeks now.  Could this be another test?  If it was, wouldn’t she have informed the king?  Perhaps he _was_ aware of her plan, and he was feigning ignorance to help Luffa gauge their reactions.  

“I… I don’t know,” he finally said.   “Perhaps we should wait and see.”

“Wait?! Wait for what?” one of the Chezzi generals demanded.   “Neither of those women looked nothing like Luffa.  The shorter one was at least six inches taller than her.”

“It was a _ki_ projection,” Hijik said.    “They could have made it look any size or shape they wanted!”

“And since when does Luffa have that ability?” the general asked sharply.  

“Her woman has all sorts of energy manipulation powers,” Hijik said.  “Working together, there’s no telling what they could do.”

“But why go to all this trouble?”  the Chezzi king asked.    “Why not simply arrange a war game maneuver?”

“Because it’s a _team-building_ exercise,” Hijik said.  The disgust in his voice made it sound like he was describing the most detestable atrocity he could imagine.  “You don’t understand how women _think_ , Your Majesty.   They want to humiliate us, then force us to work together against a common foe, and then they’ll reveal their ruse at the last moment, to reinforce the idea that none of us can accomplish anything unless _they_ allow it.”

“Wh-what?” the king asked.  

Hijik sighed.  “I can see I’ll have to go over the basics of involuntary celibacy with you.   I’ll need something to write on so I can make a diagram…”

********

* * *

On a cozy island village off the coast of one of Nat-Chezz’s larger continents, Bodi stood in a library and watched patiently while a Chezzi woman looked through an almanac.  

“Sorry this is taking so long,” she said as she ran her maroon-skinned fingers down a table printed on page 702.  “You’d probably have more luck calling the Royal Astronomy Society.   They have a computer program that calculates things like this.”

Bodi smirked as he rubbed his chin with his thumb and forefinger.  “Luck?   Calculations?” he asked.   “With the fate of this world on the line, there can be no half-measures.   Take your time, and while you concentrate on finding the answer I need, I will drink in your beauty, and let it inspire my Saiyan power to unseen heights!”

The woman faltered for a moment, and clutched at her temples.   Even the horns on her head seemed to droop slightly.  

“Is something wrong?” Bodi asked.  “Have you found it?”

“No, I just… felt a little ill for a moment,” she said.  “Could you maybe save the cheesy lines for after the invasion?”

“Very well,” Bodi said as he dramatically removed his sunglasses.  “I accept!”

He had been patrolling this part of the planet when he sensed the huge powers approaching from space.  With Luffa and Zatte offworld, his standing orders were to report to Zaperc and the Chezzi military command, but he knew better.   There would be only one way to halt this impending doom.   Only one power that could bring Bodi and his comrade the victory they all craved.  Bodi would seize that power, and with it, the triumph, and with that… maybe some grateful Chezzi women…

“Okay, I think I’ve got it,” she said.  

“Good job!” he cheered, pointing at her with both hands.   “The location of the full moon!”

“Well, that’s just it,” she said sheepishly.  “The full moon won’t be in the sky for another week.   It doesn’t matter where you go on the planet’s surface.   It all depends on the moon’s position in relation to the sun.”

His jaw dropped.  

“What _I_ was thinking of was a solar eclipse,” she explained.    “With those, it depends on where the observer is on the planet’s surface.   At a certain latitude, the moon would obscure more of the sun’s disc, but that has nothing to do with lunar phases.   I’m sorry.”

He didn’t move.   A pathetic squeaking sound emanated from his throat, but nothing more.

“Are you _sure_ you need this Giant Ape form to win?” she asked.   “It just seems kind of unreliable to me.   You get all this power from it, but it only works under the light of the full moon.  And what if the invaders managed to cut off your tail?”

He nodded slightly.  

“Well, is there anything else I can help you with?” she asked.   “If not, I’ll uh… let you get back to strategizing.   I feel like I ought to see my family before this ship arrives.   So, uh, good luck out there.”

She left him standing there, dumbfounded.  One by one, the other patrons left the building, until at last the librarian at the desk shut off the lights and locked the doors.    Bodi didn’t move, except for a slight twitch as a single tear ran down his cheek.  

*******

* * *

“Behold, mistress!   The world of Nat-Chezz.   And soon it shall be ours!  The domain of Stryquethru and Ünderlyne!”

Stryquethru gazed at the image of the planet on the viewscreen, admiring whatever her helmet allowed her to perceive through the slot that obscured her eyes.   A tear of blood ran down her cheek as she made a twisted smile.  

 ~~“How peaceful it looks!”~~ she exclaimed through clenched teeth.   ~~“Soon, very, soon my lady–my queen, we shall have all the scandium we could ever need.  Scandium enough to sate the darkest of appetites!”~~  

Their ship had only one deck, containing a single, nearly empty room.   Nearly every surface was shiny and black, with heavy chains and manacles dangling from various positions on the wall.   There were no physical controls.   Ünderlyne simply waved her hands, seemingly clawing at the air with the long black nails on her fingers, and the ship responded instantly.  

“But hold!” she said.   “We are under attack!”

 ~~“The fools!”~~ Stryquethru hissed. ~~“Do those spineless worms reject our kind warning already?”~~

“Worry not, my pet,” Ünderlyne said in a spiteful tone.  “The energy beam is a powerful one, rich in vital energy, but easily avoided.   Yes, we need only slip our vessel beneath normal space, into the welcoming darkness of subspace, and wait for the danger to pass.”  

As she spoke, she gestured with her hands to illustrate, and Stryquethru grunted with malicious approval.  Then she tilted back her head and growled.  

 ~~“Do I sense… _Saiyan_ power in that attack?”~~ she asked.  

Ünderlyne paused and considered the question carefully.  “Yessssss,” she said with a gleeful cackle.    “And added bonus for our conquest!”

 ~~“I would bathe in their blood!”~~ Stryquethru insisted.   ~~“The one who fired that insolent shot!   Yes, my pet, I will not rest until shreds of his viscera are lodged between my teeth!”~~

“Let us not be hasty,” Ünderlyne said with an evil smile.  “The Saiyans make fine stock for breeding, as well as for soup.   Imagine an entire offshoot of their race, toiling away to refine scandium for our dark bidding.”

Stryquethru screamed for thirty seconds straight.   ~~“Delightful,”~~ she added.   ~~“I cannot bear to wait any longer!  How long until we arrive?!”~~

“Soon!” Ünderlyne cried.

*******

* * *

“Now!” Ünderlyne cried as they stepped out of the hatch of their ship and onto the courtyard of the Chezzi royal palace.  

 ~~“Where is the king!?”~~ Stryquethru screeched. ~~“He must surrender his world to us immediately!”~~

“Bring us the king!” Ünderlyne shrieked.  “Lest we hunt him down and devour his eyes!”

But the courtyard was empty, save for the two invaders and their black, disc-shaped vessel.   Suddenly, the vessel was engulfed in an explosion.  

“How dare!” Ünderlyne rasped.  

 ~~“My chains!”~~ Stryquethru howled.   ~~“All of my favorite chains were on board!”~~  

“Take heart, mistress,” Ünderlyne said.  “We shall soon forge new chains, of scandium alloy!”

“Seems your ship is much easier to hit when it’s standing still,” shouted Brockle as he flew over the courtyard.   He alighted just in front of the invaders and the burning hulk that was once their ship.   “Now I only need to destroy the two of you.”

 ~~“You were the one!”~~ Stryquethru moaned.   ~~“The one who fired upon us before!   Saiyan!  I would have your innards!”~~

Brockle clenched his fists and raised his power level to its maximum.    “Come and take them if you can!” he growled.    “I’m going to make an example of the two of you.   When I’m through, no one will dare come near this planet again!”

 ~~“Then let us do battle, fool!”~~ Stryquethru shouted.   ~~“Let the seas run red with our blood!   Unleash your power Saiyan.    Bring forth your fury!”~~

“Wait, stop!  We surrender!”

Brockle turned to see his father running out from one of the palace doors.   He ran past Brockle and dropped to his knees before the dark women.  

“Father, what are you _doing_?” Brockle asked.  

“Spare my son, please,” Zaperc asked as he clasped his hands together in supplication.   “He is only a boy.”

“Father, I am _not_ a boy, I am seventeen years old!” Brockle protested.  

“How touching,” Ünderlyne cooed.    “The son seeks war, while the father begs for peace.   Do you truly know what you ask, filthy Saiyan?”

“We’re no match for you,” Zaperc said.    “We have no choice but to yield.”

 ~~“Then prove your sincerity, knave!”~~ Stryquethru commanded.   ~~“Cut off your tail and eat it here in front of us!”~~

“That is disgusting, Stryquethru!” Ünderlyne muttered.  

 ~~“It is the only way they will learn, my mistress,”~~ Stryquethru said quietly.  

“Father, you can’t be serious!” Brockle said.   “I’m strong enough to defeat these wretches.    Let me–”

“Son, your power doesn’t even _compare_!” Zaperc snapped.   “Look past your pride and sense what stands before you!   I’m not sure if even _Luffa_ could stand against these monsters.”

Zaperc’s words were like a heavy blow to his gut.   In that instant, all the confidence simply drained out of Brockle.  “F-father–!” was all he could bring himself to say.  

“I’ll do as you ask,” Zaperc said, glancing down at the end of his furry tail.   “If you agree to let me and my son leave this planet peacefully.”

“No!”

The four of them turned, and found Hijik floating over the courtyard, looking down upon them.   There was a large sphere of energy in his right hand, and he was brandishing it with look of desperation on his face.  

“Hijik, what in blazes are you _doing_?” Zaperc asked.  

“I’m rescuing your dignity from these she-beasts!” he shouted back.   “We can’t defeat them, but we do have enough power to destroy the planet, or at least render it uninhabitable!”  

 ~~“Are you mad, Saiyan?!”~~ Stryquethru barked.   ~~“Put that energy away and come down here!   Or do you want to kill yourself along with the rest of us?!”~~

“I’m not bluffing!” Hijik said.   “If we can’t have this planet, neither will you!  I suggest you get back in your ship and leave.    This world isn’t safe for your kind!”

“They can’t leave, Hijik!” Zaperc groaned.   “Brockle destroyed their ship!”

This was apparently news to Hijik, or he may have seen it happen, and simply failed to consider the ramifications.    “He… did?!” Hijik stammered.   “But… but…”

 ~~“We cannot leave!”~~ Stryquethru gloated.   ~~“Nor would we wish to do so.    Tell me, little man, would you hold that ball of death over us forever?!”~~

“No, wait!” Hijik said, thinking as fast as he could.  “You could take our ship.”  

“In the first place, Hijik,” Zaperc said, “it’s not ‘our ship’, it’s _my_ ship.   And second–”

As he spoke, they all sensed another Saiyan life energy moving overhead.   It was Vigurd, piloting the very ship they were just discussing.

“What is _she_ doing?” Zaperc asked.  

“That coward!” Brockle fumed.   “She’s running away!  Leaving us behind!”

“Well, someone get to a transmitter and tell her to turn around!” Hijik yelled.  “She doesn’t _need_ to run away now!   She can bring the ship down and hand it off to these two.   Hell, she can leave _with them_ for all I care.   Just so long as they–”

Suddenly, Zaperc’s ship exploded into a fireball, and began a steep descent towards the horizon.  

“Vigurd?!” Zaperc cried.   He couldn’t sense her energy now.   It was possible that a Saiyan of her power level might have survived the explosion, but if Zaperc couldn’t sense her _ki_ , then that meant Vigurd wasn’t using it to protect herself, or to break her fall to the surface.    If she wasn’t dead already, she soon would be.

Hijik wasted no time dreaming up another alternative.   “There’s plenty of other starships on this planet,” he said.  

 ~~“Enough!”~~ Stryquethru shouted.   ~~“You’ve put up a nice front, little Saiyan, but your game is over now!  Come down here, and if Ünderlyne deems you suitable, we may make use of you for our breeding experiments.”~~

“Breeding?” Hijik said.   “You mean, me and you?”

Ünderlyne simply cackled and waved her hands with abandon.  

 ~~“And perhaps _I_ as well, dog,”~~ Stryquethru added, ~~“assuming there is anything left of you once dear Ünderlyne is through.”~~

Hijik quickly dissipated the energy ball in his hand and descended beside Zaperc.   “When do we start?” he asked hopefully.

“Hijik, are you mad?” Zaperc asked.   “A moment ago these two demanded that I eat my own tail!”  

“What’s your point?” he asked.  

“Not so fast, ladies!” called a voice in the distance.    

“Oh, what now?” Hijik groaned.  

The dark women were equally annoyed.   The looked and found a figure standing atop one of the stone pillars in the courtyard, with his arms crossed and his back turned toward them.    With a flourish, he backflipped off the pillar, twisting and flipping as he moved through the air, until at last his feet touched the ground and he struck a dramatic pose.

“Bodi,” Zaperc said.    “I’m asking you to _please_ stay out of this.”

“I’ve come to issue a challenge!” Bodi said.   “We can’t defeat you ladies now, but in a week, when the moon is full, my comrades and I will be ready to fight you with all we’ve got.”  

 ~~“Why should we do such a thing?!”~~  Stryquethru asked.  

“Your comrades are already surrendering to us!” Ünderlyne hissed.   “What possible reason would we have for delaying our triumph?”

He rubbed his chin, then adjusted his sunglasses.   “I see,” he said as he closed his eyes and smiled.    “It seems I failed to consider that.   Very well.   In that case, all that I have left is…”

There was a long pause, and for a moment, Zaperc dared to wonder if Bodi actually had a way out of this situation.  

“… _No plans!_ ” Bodi declared.  

Zaperc shook his head mournfully and looked down at his tail once again.  

*******

_**[7 March 234 Before Age.  Nat-Chezz II.]** _

As it turned out, Zaperc got to keep his tail, at least for the time being.   As sadistic as the invaders were, they seemed more interested in savoring their victory than in carrying out their threats.   Thus, the first ever “Surrender Banquet” was held in the palace’s main hall.  The decorations made the occasion resemble the interior design of Stryquethru and Ünderlyne’s ship.   The streamers were made of black paper, the bouqets of flowers were dyed to as dark a hue as possible, and pieces of rusted scrap metal were laid upon each table like centerpieces.   At the front of the room was a stage, where the new rulers of Nat-Chezz sat upon their “throne”, which was actually just a black leather sofa they had stabbed with assorted swords and knives.    Hijik and Bodi stood on either side of them, each wearing heavy manacles on their necks and wrists that were more symbolic than functional.  

“When do we start the breeding program?” Hijik asked Ünderlyne .  

“At a time and place of our choosing, mortal fool!” Ünderlyne insisted.   “If you do not stop asking, I shall carve out your tongue!”

 ~~“Oh, let him babble, my lady,”~~  Stryquethru said.   ~~“I enjoy hearing the Saiyan whimper like an animal begging for table scraps.”~~

There was a loud metallic crack, and Stryquethru turned to scold Bodi.   ~~“Worthless wretch!  I told you to stop fidgeting with those chains!   Now you’ve broken them!”~~

Bodi had been trying to scratch his back, which had strained the metal to its breaking point.   He grinned and adjusted his sunglasses.  “Apologies, ladies,” he said as smoothly as he could.   “I suppose that I was so overwhelmed by your animal magnetism that I forgot my own strength.    Best surrender ever!”

At one of the tables, Zaperc was apologizing profusely to the Chezzi king.  

“We still have a chance,” he said in a low voice.   “Lesseri and Jikama are unaccounted for.   One of them might find a way to summon help and–”

“What good will that do?” the king whispered.  “These women are too powerful, Zaperc.  They could defeat an _army_ of Saiyans, and I doubt your comrades can find us that much help.”

“There _is_ the full moon,” Zaperc suggested.   “Bodi may have had the right idea after all.   If we bide our time, we might–”

The king was horrified at this suggestion.   “Don’t you think they’ve already anticipated that tactic?” he asked.   “In another week, they’ll either chop off your tails or destroy our moon.”  

Zaperc sighed as he realized the king was right.   It wasn’t supposed to have been like this.    His son Brockle should have unlocked his hidden potential and become powerful enough to tackle any challenge, including these invaders. Instead, Stryquethru and Ünderlyne had taken the planet without a struggle, and Brockle now sulked in a far corner of the hall, his spirit completely broken.  

 ~~“Silence!”~~  Stryquethru screamed.   ~~“We would have music!  We would see merriment!  Dance, Chezzi insects!  Dance for your dark queens!”~~

With some reluctance, most of the ’guests’ rose from their chairs and began to dance in an open area of the hall.  As commanded by their new rulers, they all wore black gowns and formal wear mottled with ashes.

“Shall we?” the king said, offering his hand to Zaperc.

Zaperc was irritated by the situation, but he supposed every moment he spent playing along was another moment he got to keep his tail attached to his body.  Begrudgingly, he took the king’s hand and led him through a rudimentary waltz.

“You’ve done this before,” the king said with some amazement.  "I didn’t think Saiyans knew how to dance.“

"It was in the book,” Zaperc explained ruefully.

“The book?   You mean _The Luffa Way_?” the king asked.

“There’s a section about opening oneself to new experiences.  It goes on to describe a time when Luffa supposedly taught herself to waltz in order to defeat a giant sea serpent on Planet Zeezil.”

“And you resolved to learn the same steps,” the king said.

Zaperc nodded.  "All of it was a waste of time.  The real Luffa told me the book was a pack of lies.  She had never been to the Zeezil system.  Her wife–who isn’t even mentioned in the book– told me that Luffa doesn’t know how to dance.“

"How gauche,” the king said.  "I wonder what they did at their wedding reception…“

"Luffa levitated herself an inch off the ground and let Zatte slide her across the floor like a shuffleboard disc.  At least, that was what Zatte told me.  She may have been joking.  It’s hard for me to tell.”

“That sounds rather fun, actually,” the king said.  "Would you care to try it?“

Zaperc frowned.  "The _point_ is that I’ve been wasting my time.  I devoted years to following in Luffa’s footsteps, only to find that her feet weren’t even touching the ground!  All the rumors and tall tales and false accounts I’ve studied–! All it’s won me is a life of bondage.  It would all be worth it if this somehow led to a better life for my son, but _look at him over there_.  I’ve only doomed him to the same fate.”

The King glanced back at Brockle, who was still sulking in his chair.  A Chezzi maiden asked him to dance, but he wouldn’t even acknowledge her presence.

“Don’t give up hope, Noble Saiyan,” the king said.  "My people have endured numerous conquests and occupations in our history.  This too shall pass.“

"How can you say that at a time like this?!” Zaperc asked.  "We can’t defeat these monsters!  Not even Luffa could–!“

Suddenly, there came a loud noise from the back of the hall.  There was a massive double door at the entrance, made of particularly expensive and sturdy breed of Chezzi timber, and decorated with bismuth ink.  These now lay on the floor, the wood splintered and cracked where they had been shorn from their hinges.

 ~~"Eh?  Who dares!”~~ Stryquethru screeched.

The newcomer stormed into the hall, walking directly toward the invaders without acknowledging the Saiyans or Chezzi.  When she was standing directly in front of Stryquethru and Ünderlyne’s sofa, she extended her hand and curled in her fingers, beckoning them to come closer.

“Let’s step outside,” Luffa said.

 

**NEXT: Post Mortem**


	76. Chapter 76

_**[7 March 234 Before Age.  Nat-Chezz II.]** _

 

"Saiyan maggot!" Ünderlyne snarled. "Have you learned nothing from the defeat of your kin? Your power doesn’t begin to compare to ours!"

"I’ve noticed," Luffa said, smiling excitedly. "I sensed the two of you from orbit. _Very_ impressive. Let’s do this."

Nat-Chezz II had fallen to a pair of alien invaders less than twenty-four hours ago.  The fighters who had pledged to defend the planet had failed.  Stryquethru and Ünderlyne seemed to be completely unbeatable, to the point where surrender had been the only sane option.   The pair wasted no time in celebrating their bloodless conquest by staging a ball in the palace of the Chezzi King.   

And then Luffa arrived to confront them.

"Have a care, Saiyan!" Ünderlyne warned. "The power we possess will reduce you to a cinder! Beg for our mercy, or we shall annihilate you instantly!"

"Maybe you don't understand how this works," Luffa said. She balled her fists and threw back her head as she _transformed_.   Like all Saiyans, Luffa had dark hair and a tail covered in brown fur.   These suddenly changed to a luminescent yellow, and her eyes flashed as they became a menacing shade of bright green.  She extended her arm toward the couch the invaders were sitting on, and pointed at each of them.

"I'm _going_ to fight you _now,"_ she said with a twisted grin. "Get up and let's get down to business!"

They looked at each other and exchanged confused looks. At last Ünderlyne said: "Perhaps this Saiyan does not realize the full extent of our power, my lady. We must summon our _full_ might to show just how far beyond her we truly are! "

Luffa was growing impatient. "No, I _get it_ , you're both stronger than me.  I'm excited, really.  Let's hurry up and fight. If you don't mind, I'd like to take you on one at a time. You know, just to make this last longer. But if you're more comfortable working as a team, I can adjust."

Stryquethru was visibly disturbed to hear this. ~~"What is _wrong_ with you? You admit we're stronger, yet you _still_ want to fight us?!"~~

"Okay, enough of this crap," Luffa said. "I was hoping you two were just as anxious to test your powers as I am, but it doesn't really matter. I'm going to start hitting you as _hard as I can_. If I were you, I'd start thinking about hitting _back_."

With that, she started to yell, gathering her power as her aura raged like a tempest. Most of the people in the hall ran for their lives, while a few took cover and looked on in terror.

And then suddenly, Luffa stopped yelling, and she drew back her fist. "Ready or not!" she shouted.

 ~~"No! _Wait!_ I give up!"~~ Stryquethru cried.

"You _what_?" Luffa asked.

Stryquethru got up from the sofa and fell to her knees. ~~"You win! We give up! Don't kill us!"~~

"Stryquethru, don't be a fool!" Ünderlyne scolded. "This Saiyan is only bluffing!"

 ~~"But what if she's _not_?!"~~ Stryquethru asked. ~~"If she's really this powerful..."~~

"It matters not, my pet!" Ünderlyne said. "For we are stronger still! This Saiyan won't _dare_ attack us--ARRRRRGH!"

Without warning, a bolt of green light burst through one of the large, stained glass windows of the hall, and struck Ünderlyne somewhere beneath the folds of her black cloak. She fell off the sofa and started twitching.

"I _told her_ to stay out of this," Luffa muttered. "Sorry about that. My wife is kind of over-protective. I told her I was going to fight you two and she got a little nervous. I guess it was because you were so much stronger than... _wait a minute_."

She looked down at Stryquethru, as though seeing her for the first time. "What happened to your _ki_?" she asked. "It's like you turned into a wimp all of a sudden."

 ~~"Please, spare us!"~~ Stryquethru whined. ~~"It was all a deception! We have the ability to manipulate _ki_ perception! That way we make ourselves appear to be more powerful than we really are, and our opponents don't dare to challenge us."~~

Luffa considered this for a moment as she looked at Ünderlyne convulsing on the floor. Then she gently tapped her finger against Stryquethru's shoulder, and she collapsed, clutching her arm in agony.

"You're telling the truth!" Luffa said. "You _idiots_! I was ready to come at you with my full power! I could have killed you!"

"Wuh-we never expected any...one to call our bluff!" Ünderlyne whimperd. "Our illusion makes us seem unbeatable! Who would want to fight a superior opponent with no hope of winning?!"

Luffa opened her mouth to answer.  She wanted to say that _any_ proud Saiyan would eagerly accept the challenge, even at the risk of death. Then she remembered that there had been _other_ Saiyans to greet these invaders, and they had apparently given up without a fight.

So instead she said nothing, and went to find the Chezzi king to inform him that his planet had been saved.

*******

* * *

 

**_[8 March 234 Before Age.  Nat-Chezz II.]_ **

"If _any_ of you had thrown a _single punch_ at either of them," Luffa said, "you would have exposed their trick instantly! Those women weren't invaders, they were con artists. Tricksters!"

In spite of her disappointment in them, she had cooked a meal for the group, and was now serving it to them while she critiqued their performance. They took the food and ate, but none of them seemed to relish the experience, and no one was in a hurry to speak up.

"Hijik," Luffa said. "I would have thought _you_ would have caught on. You've been accusing _me_ of being an impostor Super Saiyan. The king tells me you were convinced that Stryquethru and Ünderlyne were me and Zatte in disguise! You're just about the most suspicious man I've ever met, but you didn't see through _this_?"

Hijik shrugged without looking at her. "They were so strong," he said. "And they weren't going to hurt us. I figured there was nothing to lose."

" _Nothing to lose?!_ " Luffa snapped. "What about your _pride_ as a warrior?! They were going to use you all as _breeding stock_!"

Hijik shook his head. "I should have known they didn't mean it. All you women are alike. You make demands, tease us with the promise of sex, but you always find a way to back out at the last minute."

Luffa grabbed him by the throat and yanked him out of his chair. Before he could react, she struck him in the torso several dozen times, then tossed him to the ground.

"Get the hell off this planet," she said. "I've had enough of your paranoid fantasies. You're a waste of Saiyan blood."

Hijik coughed as he recovered from Luffa's beating. He looked up at her bitterly, as if to remind her that the feeling was mutual. Then he leaped into the air and flew away.

Zaperc watched him go, but said nothing.

"Is that it then?" Lesseri asked. "You're _firing_ us? I think I'd rather skip the lecture then, if that's all right with you, Supe."

" _You_ didn't even show up to face them, Lesseri," Luffa growled. "You sent Vigurd to prep the ship so you two could abandon your comrades and your duty to this planet!"

"I only had one 'duty', sister," Lesseri said with a laugh. "And I _did_ it. Helping you losers tackle a pair of aliens was never part of my plan."

"The Chezzi forensics team found traces of explosives in the wreckage," Luffa said. "Vigurd's death was no accident. You're going to tell me why you did it, or I'll _pull_ the answers out of your mind. Your choice."

Lesseri laughed again. "Why should I keep it a secret?" she said. "Yeah, I killed Vigurd. I've been plotting to kill her for years. I only joined this outfit so I could get close to her and find the right opportunity. I was afraid _you_ might save her, Luffa, but then you and your wife went on that trip to Tingi V, and I knew I had my chance. The invasion made it perfect. I knew Vigurd would be in too big a hurry to escape. She'd never bother waiting for the rest of us, and she'd certainly never think to run a pre-flight sensor check for any hazardous substances on board.

Zaperc hung his head as he listened to her confession. Lesseri seemed to enjoy his reaction. "That's right, old man. I never cared about your stupid movement. I doubt Vigurd did either. She was a coward who probably only threw in with you because it was easier than going it alone."

"You talk about cowardice, Lesseri," Luffa said, "but I notice you didn't bother to challenge Vigurd to a fair fight."

Lesseri laughed again. "I wanted to _kill_ her, not defeat her," she said.  "If I had challenged and lost, she might have killed me first, or run away before I could get my chance to finish her off. I didn't want her to realize what I was up to until it was too late."

"Why?" Luffa asked. "What did Vigurd ever do to you?"

Lesseri looked her straight in the eye and smiled. "You heard what she said before. About how she abandoned her brats at a gestation facility. As I recall, you didn't approve of that very much."

"I don't," Luffa said coldly. "But that's no reason to _kill_ \--"

" _I_ was one of the brats," Lesseri said with a snort. "She thought they were twin boys, but we were actually girls, which shows how little she cared. She had _no idea_ I was her daughter, and I made sure to _keep it_ that way right up to the end."

Luffa was speechless, which seemed to make the moment even more enjoyable for Lessri. "Nothing to say, Super Saiyan? You don't have some snappy lecture about the honor of motherhood? Vigurd left me to fend for myself, and I made sure she died the same way I grew up: confused and alone. I betrayed Zaperc, and you, and this planet, but so what? It all worked out in the end anyway. So go ahead! Beat me to a pulp! Kill me! Do whatever your old fashion morality tells you! I've got _my_ satisfaction, and I was prepared to die for it, so do whatever you think is best."

Lesseri leaned back in her seat and put her hands behind her head as she waited, but Luffa didn't move. She glared at Lesseri, but took no action.

"Fine," Lesseri said. She stood up and started to walk away from the group. "I'll take that as my cue to leave. Thanks for your help, everyone."

Luffa waited until she was gone, then regained her composure. "Where's Jikama?" she asked.

"You're just letting her go?" Brockle asked.

" _Where's Jikama?_ " Luffa repeated.

"No worries!" Bodi said as he adjusted his sunglasses. "Jikama contacted us last night. He had a meeting with the Chezzi King, but promised to be here as soon as he could."

Luffa held out her hands in resignation. "Fine. _Fine_. Let's talk about _you_ , Bodi. You tried to get the invasion _rescheduled_ until the night of the full moon."

"Uh... they didn't agree to my terms," he said.

"Would you like to walk into my fist next week, Bodi?" Luffa asked. "Would lunchtime work for you?"

He seemed to take her point, and tugged at the collar of his blue tunic.

"I haven't turned into a giant Ape in _years_ ," Luffa said. "It might not be safe for me to use the form anymore, but more importantly, a lot of planets don't have moons big enough to trigger the transformation! And the ones that do aren't reliable either! You might have to wait months or even years for a full moon, and then a cloudy sky could ruin everything!"

"It's worked well--" Bodi began to say, but Luffa cut him off.

" _In setpiece battles_!" she said. "When you've got hundreds of individually weaker enemies to mow down. _Then_ you can play cat-and-mouse, and lure them into a position where you can overwhelm them in the Oozaru form."

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully and smiled. "Very well," he said. "For the next invasion, we should get an _army_ to land on Nat-Chezzi! Then I'll show the ladies just what Bodi can really do!"

"You still don't get it!" Luffa said. "You're here to defend a single planet! You don't get the _luxury_ of picking _who_ to fight, or _where,_ or _when_! That's the whole challenge, Bodi!"

"I see," Bodi said. He had said the same thing the last seven times someone had explained it to him. Luffa was beginning to think would never understand. She wanted to kick him out of the group, but she wasn't really sure that he was ever really in the group to begin with. Sooner or later he'd just move on, so she resolved to ignore him.

Besides, there wasn't much of a group left to kick Bodi out of. All she had left were Zaperc, his son Brockle, and Jikama.

"This is a waste of time," Luffa said. "I can't help these people, Zaperc."

"The fault is mine, Luffa," Zaperc said. "I accepted whatever followers I happened to find, but at the time I was basing my teachings on _The Luffa Way_. Now that I know the book is a fraud, and now that I've trained with the real you--!"

"You think other Saiyans will flock to your movement?" Luffa asked. "Don't be ridiculous. You failed just as badly as the others. You were so worried about your son's safety that you forgot to fight." She gestured to Brockle. "And _he_ takes all his cues from _you_ , apparently. You talk tough, Brockle, but only if your dad thinks you can win."

Brockle crossed his arms and looked away from Luffa like a petulant child.

"Luffa," Zaperc asked. "Could I speak to you alone?"

*******

* * *

 

Inside the mansion the Saiyans had been using for a base, Luffa took a seat in front of Zaperc's desk. "All right, spit it out, Zaperc," she said.

"I want to apologize for my son. He's been very insolent towards you and your woman."

"Accepted," Luffa said.

"You probably think I coddle the boy," he said. "That I should have taught him some manners before he became too strong for me to handle."

Luffa rolled her eyes. "He's not the _rudest_ Saiyan I've ever met, Zaperc.  "Though that isn't saying much.  He's only called me a whore twice."

"You must understand that he's very special," Zaperc said.

"Of course. He's your son."

"No, it's more than that. He had a tremendous potential since the day he was born. I've always known that he was destined to do great things. That is why I've devoted my life to supporting his development into a mighty warrior. That is why I wanted him to learn from you."

"Is there a point to this, Zaperc?" Luffa asked.

"I would ask you to teach my son your power," he said in a reverent tone.

" _What?_ "

"Your transformation," he said. "I want you to make him into a Super Saiyan."

"That's... that's ridiculous!" Luffa said. "I've been _trying_ to teach him this whole time.   The Shiei Fist, remember?  He won't listen to me."

"That's because what he _really_ wants to know is how to be what you are," Zaperc said. "Invincible. Unbeatable. The ultimate warrior."

"He thinks I'm a freak," she said. "But if _he_ could do it, suddenly that makes it okay?"

"If you can show _him_ how to become a Super Saiyan," Zaperc said, "then you could teach _others_! The Saiyans would _have_ to acknowledge you then! They would hail you as a hero who showed them the road to even greater glory!"

She stood up and began to pace around the room. "I don't even know if it _can_ be taught," she said. "It's not like the Galick Gun. It's not a technique I developed and refined. It just... happened."

"You're a fighting genius," Zaperc said. "And you've had this ability for at least three years. Surely you've gained some insight that can be passed on."

"What about the legends?" Luffa asked. "Chanisp and Old Darbock and the rest. If I can show someone how to do it, then why didn't they?"

"Perhaps they lacked the right student," Zaperc suggested.

"Your son won't listen to me," Luffa said. "I doubt he'd listen to Chanisp, for that matter.  Why should I waste my time?"

"Think of the possibilities," Zaperc pleaded. "You have no rival in the universe. Even if you find another warrior to challenge you, you'll just overcome him as you surpassed the Shockmaster, and you'll be back where you started. But if there were _other_ Super Saiyans, constantly working to surpass _you_..."

Luffa closed her eyes and made a rather wistful smile. "It'd be something, wouldn't it?" she asked. "All right, maybe it's worth a try. I'll need some time to think this through. I have no idea how to put it into words."

"Of course. Brockle and I will await your summons."

*******

* * *

 

"I knew we couldn’t beat them head on," Jikama said. "Even if we all worked together, so I started gathering supplies and preparing for an underground resistance."

Zatte looked up and down the walls of the cavern and made a low whistle. "Very impressive, Jikama. You’d still have a long way to go, but this is a great start for just one afternoon of work."

"I dug this one in a hurry," he said. "I figured everyone would he so busy fighting that they wouldn’t stop to wonder what I was doing using my _ki_ out here in the middle of nowhere. Once I had the tunnels laid out the way I wanted, I headed for the mansion and grabbed as many supplies as I could find."

"Luffa will be impressed," Zatte said.

Jikama smiled. "No, she probably won’t," he said, "but it’s nice of you to say so."

"Yeah, but this reminds me a lot of the story she told me of the last Super Saiyan, Chanisp," Zatte said. He found a place to train in secret, and finally turned the tables on his enemies."

"Maybe so," Jikama said, "but I’ll probably never be that strong. I’ll keep trying to get there, but until I do, I’m better off using my head, like you showed me."

"Well, for what it’s worth, I think we’re leaving Nat-Chezz II in good hands," she said. "Unless you’re planning to run off and join another gang of Saiyans."

"I think I’ve had enough of outer space," he said. "I only went looking for Saiyans because of my father."

"You were trying to find him?" she asked.

"No, he died in a battle not long after I born," he said. "I never knew him. I sort of hoped that if I lived with other Saiyans, went on the kinds of adventures Saiyans have, that I’d understand him better."

He looked around at the cavern. "Zatte, can I ask you something? You know Saiyans pretty well, right? From living with Luffa, I mean."

"I wouldn’t call myself an expert," Zatte said. "But I know a few things, sure."

"Do you think my father would be proud of me?" he asked. "If he could see me now."

She screwed up her face as she tried to formulate an answer. "I don’t know," she finally said. "Luffa killed her own father after he betrayed her. Then again, Zaperc seems pretty supportive of Brockle. I think it really depends on the person, but the bar seems pretty low, at least the way I see it."

"Yeah," Jikama said. "It doesn’t matter anyway. Everything I’ve accomplished, all the things I’m going to do, well, they were for _me_ as much as they were for him. I’m going to protect this planet and my mother’s people, no matter what anyone else would think about it."

Zatte patted him on the shoulder.

*******

* * *

 

Hours later, Luffa met with Zaperc and Brockle on the peak of a mountain.   "You want me to teach your son to become a Super Saiyan?" she said. "Are you sure you know what you’re asking?"

"Yes!" Zaperc said. "Please."

Luffa balled up her fists and transformed. The golden aura raged around her body like an otherworldy storm. Her cold green eyes stared at Brockle as though gazing directly into his soul.

"What about it, boy?" she said. "Is _this_ what you want? It’s not just power, you know. Once you cross the threshold, nothing will ever be quite the same."

Brockle looked to his father, then back to Luffa. "I...I’m ready!" he said.

"You’ll have to suffer for this, Brockle!" she warned him. "You’ll have to pay a terrible price to become what _I_ am.  They didn't write about that in any damn _book_."

"Anything!" he shouted. "I’ll do whatever you ask!"

"Your father," she said in a low voice. "He will have to _die_."

"Wh-what?!" Zaperc gasped.

Brockle snorted as he turned towards him. He raised his hand and charged it with his _ki_. Zaperc was too stunned to defend himself.

"Then so be it!" Brockle laughed. He brought down his hand with blinding speed, and with a destructive force sufficient to tear through solid steel.

And then it stopped, just short of Zaperc’s neck. There, Luffa had blocked Brockle’s strike with a single finger.

"Stand down, boy," she said.

"What?!" Brockle asked. "What are you--?!"

Luffa frowned at him.   "I told you to _stand down_."

"But I did what you told me!" Brockle whined. "You were testing me! To see if I would really do it!"

"And you failed," Luffa said grimly. "Now _power down_ , before I--"

"I did what you _told_ me, you stupid bitch!" he howled. "You said I had to kill this useless dolt, and I _would have_ , if you hadn’t stopped me!"

Zaperc backed away from them. He wasn’t sure what was happening, but he could tell that Brockle was making things worse. "Son, don’t--"

But Brockle was too angry to listen to anyone now. "You’re _afraid_ , aren’t you?!" he growled, pointing his finger accusingly at Luffa’s face. "You know that if I had the secret I’d _surpass_ you! And I _would_! I’d beat you, and then I’d show you what a _real_ Super Saiyan can--"

In a flash, Luffa had taken his arm and twisted it behind his back into a hammerlock. Brockle wailed in agony as she cinched the hold.

"Oh, I’m just _terrified_ ," Luffa said.

Brockle tried to hit her with his free arm, but Luffa’s body was so small that he couldn’t get reach her. As she was strong enough to maintain the hold with only one hand, Luffa used the other to torque Brockle’s wrist, adding to his torment.

He wailed in pain. 

"So this is what a real Super Saiyan can do," she said.   "I had no idea this world even existed."

Brockle's shoulder blade was scraping against his rib cage, but the sound was drowned out by his pathetic cries.

"Don’t hurt me, Brockle," Luffa said coldly. "I beg you."

He squealed as she applied more pressure. Then she suddenly released his arm and wrapped her arms around his waist. Before he could react, she pulled him backward, launching him over her body and releasing him as he collided with the ground. So great was the impact that Brockle’s body had formed a crater.

Luffa rose to her feet and pointed at him. "When he wakes up, you tell him to think long and hard before he _ever_ faces me again," she said to Zaperc. "Because the next time he pisses me off, I’ll kill him."

She snapped her fingers to indicate how easily she could carry out her threat.

"I don’t understand!" Zaperc said.

"I can’t teach your son," Luffa said. "That’s all there is to it.  I had to figure out what it was that made me this way, and it's not something I can teach.   It's not something he can learn."

"But _why not_?" Zaperc asked. "Please, at least tell me that!"

Luffa looked down at Brockle. "I can’t teach him to become a Super Saiyan, because to do that I’d have to kill you," she said. "I’d have to torture you to death while he watches, completely unable to stop me."

Zaperc took a deep breath. "You said I must die, but when he tried to kill me you stopped him."

"Because he _thought_ I wanted a sacrifice," Luffa said. "That’s not it at all. The point is that he has to experience a loss so heartfelt and painful that his body will have no _choice_ but to transform."

"But he was _already_ humiliated by Styquethru and Ünderlyne," Zaperc said.

"I’m not talking about _pride_ ," Luffa shouted. "If all it took was a wounded ego and a dead parent, every Saiyan male in the universe would have ascended a long time ago!" She pointed at her face. "Look at me!   Do you think I _tried_ to turn into this _thing_? That I just did a bunch of pushups and tensed up a certain spot on my back?!  No."

"Then what was it?" Zaperc asked. "What did you have that Brockle lacks?"

"Compassion," Luffa said.

" _What?!_ " Zaperc was so confused now that he started to laugh. "That makes no sense!"

"I didn’t understand it either at first," Luffa admitted. "I had already been defeated, already suffered a lot worse than Brockle ever has, but it wasn’t until I was worried about someone _else_... And then I remember becoming furious at myself for being so helpless."

"Then that’s why you’ve been protecting planets all over the galaxy!" Zaperc said. "To become even stronger!"

"No, I do it because it’s the only way I can find a worthwhile challenge," Luffa said. "And also because I know what it’s _like_ to be helpless. I sympathize with people like the Chezzi. I was hoping that maybe _you_ could learn to sympathize with them too, but I was wrong."

"No!" Zaperc said. "It can still work! I was right to come here, Luffa. I was imitating your methods without knowing their purpose, but now I see! Once I explain it to Brockle, I’m sure he can--"

Luffa snarled and waved her arm, pushing Zaperc away with the force of her _ki_. "Don’t you get it?!" she shouted. "Brockle doesn’t _care_ about this planet or its people! He never cared.   He doesn’t care about anyone or anything but himself! He’d _kill you_ just for a _chance_ to have this power, but that’s _not how it works_."

Her hands started to tremble. She turned away from Zaperc and crossed her arms tightly to steady them.

"He’s so ruthless that he’d kill his own father, even though you’ve spent _your whole life_ trying to support him. If _your_ death wouldn’t stir those emotions inside him, then I don't know what will.  I can’t teach him, Zaperc.  No one can."

"One of the others then," Zaperc suggested, desperate to find a solution. "Perhaps Bodi is soft-hearted enough to--"

"Even if he were," Luffa said. "I’d have to hurt him in a way I wouldn’t wish upon my worst enemy. Brockle might have been willing to kill you, Zaperc, but I’m _not_.  You remind me too much of my own father... or at least the man I wanted him to be."

She started to walk away, and Zaperc moved to follow her. Heedless of the danger, he reached out and grabbed Luffa by the arm.

"Luffa, please!" he begged. "You can’t just keep this secret to yourself! Think of our people! The Saiyan race could do incredible things with your power!"

Luffa looked at him sadly, then shook her head. "Take care of your boy, Zaperc," she said. "He should learn to be worthy of the power he already has. That should keep you both occupied for a while."

She shook him loose, and then flew away, leaving him with far more questions than answers.

*******

* * *

 

Luffa wasted little time making her departure from Nat-Chezz. She boarded her star-yacht, confirmed Zatte’s presence on board, and ordered the ship’s computer to lift off and set course for the nearest starport. Then she went to the hot tub on the observation deck. She removed her boots, but didn’t bother undressing any further before immersing herself up to her nose in hot water.

Just as she was beginning to forget her troubles, Zatte entered the room.

“Well look who dropped in,” she said in an icy voice. Luffa suddenly found herself wishing she lived on a much larger starship. In another galaxy.

They had argued for most of the previous night. Their return trip from Tingis V had been fraught with complications, and the invasion they had found on Nat-Chezz had strained their morale further, and then Luffa’s farce of a battle with Stryquethru and Ünderlyne. Luffa had told Zatte to remain in orbit with the ship, but instead she had participated in the battle, albeit with a sniper rifle four miles away. The revelation that Strykethru and Ünderlyne were never a threat to anyone should have broken the tension, but somehow it had only made things worse.

In hindsight, Luffa wasn’t sure if she had taken her frustration with the Saiyans out on Zatte, or if she had taken her frustration with Zatte out on the Saiyans.

“The _least_ you could do is say hello to your wife when you come on board,” Zatte said. “Or are we still not speaking to each other?”

“Hello,” Luffa said wearily as she lifted her head out of the water to speak.

Zatte put her fists on her hips and stared down at her. “Is that all?” she asked.

“I’m sorry for yelling at you last night,” Luffa added.

“ _And?_ ”

Luffa smiled in spite of herself. “You were right to shoot Ünderlyne,” she said. “It was a beautiful shot too. Did you use the gamma scope or the AI model?”

Zatte’s frown melted away and she disrobed, revealing her swimsuit with “Super Saiyan Club President” printed on the front. “Move over,” she said as she entered the tub.

“I really hate that suit,” Luffa groaned.

“I know you do,” Zatte said. “I put it on because I was still mad at you, but if you keep saying nice things about my fieldcraft skills, I might change into something else.”

“Zaperc wanted me to teach his boy how to turn into a Super Saiyan,” Luffa said.

“I’m gonna guess it didn’t work,” Zatte said.

“Bullseye. You’re a crack shot even without a gun.”

“I’m sorry things went so badly with those guys,” Zatte said. “I really wanted you to be able to reconnect with your people.”

“They seemed so... _small_ to me,” Luffa said. “I kept trying to get them to see the bigger picture, but they just couldn’t let go of their petty self-interests. I guess I used to be like that. Back on Dorlu Prime, I mean.”

“Yeah,” Zatte said. “But I always got the feeling you only acted like a big jerk because you thought you were supposed to. Like, you were afraid you’d turn into a Dorlun if you didn’t carry yourself a certain way.”

“Huh. And now?”

“You’ve been on your own so long that you’ve become your own person,” Zatte said. “It’s liberating, but it kind of leaves you exposed. If people don’t like it, you take it harder than if you were pretending to be something else.”

“I’m really sorry for last night, Zattie. I trust you, but I don’t want you getting hurt because of me, either. It’s hard for me to know where to draw the line.”

“Same here,” Zatte admitted. “I would have stayed put like you asked, but I kept worrying that those two would be more than you could handle.”

“We should have just said that to each other last night,” Luffa said. “Would have saved us a lot of hassle.”

“Better late than never,” Zatte said. “We’ve grown a little since yesterday. Brockle might seem small to you now, but he just needs more time to grow. Maybe he’ll become a Super Saiyan on his own some day.”

“Maybe,” Luffa said. “At least Jikama’s got a good head on his shoulders. Nat-Chezz should be in good hands, at least.”

Zatte made a puzzled face. “I didn’t think you gave him that much credit.”

Luffa shrugged. “As a Saiyan, no. But I’m not too impressed with Saiyans right now, so that works to his favor. He was worried about whether his father would be proud of him, but his old man was probably a creep like Brockle or Hijik, so it doesn’t really matter. Once he figures that out, he ought to do just fine.”

“Yeah,” Zatte said. “I think you’re right.”

**NEXT: My Dinner with Rehval**


	77. Chapter 77

_**[8 April 234 Before Age.  Planet Pflaume.]** _

Most inhabited worlds in the galaxy were composed of iron and nickel, surrounded by a rocky crust and an oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere.   Sometimes certain moons fitting this description could be found orbiting much larger planets known as “gas giants” for their composition of mostly hydrogen and helium.      

Pflaume was an example of what some astronomers called an “ice giant”.   The term “ice” was somewhat misleading, as astronomers used it as a catch-all term for a multitude of volatile chemical compounds such as ammonia and methane, as well as water.   While the ice giants contained a substantial amount of hydrogen and helium, the bulk of their mass was made of these “ice” compounds, with a core of solid “ices” and rock deep within.   Ice giants were generally smaller than gas giants, but both types were uninhabitable to most known forms of life, due to the lack of a breathable atmosphere and a solid surface upon which to stand.  

Nevertheless, there were still humanoids who took up residence on some ice giant planets, using the same technologies found on starships.   The habitat on Pflaume was typical of this design.   It was essentially a spacecraft that maintained a continuous flight within Pflaume’s turbulent atmosphere.  Those who lived inside the vessel were protected from the freezing temperatures and intense winds outside, and an artificial gravity system simulated the conditions of a terrestrial planet.  

Drang Dedruhn cared very little about these details as her transport completed the final leg of its flight to the Pflaume system.   She admired the vivid purple color of the planet as the ship approached, but she had no interest in the chemistry of its atmosphere or the semantics of its astronomical classification, or the engineering feats that held its single city aloft.  Her sole concern was the invitation she had received to visit this place, the motives behind it, and the opportunities it might present.  

For nearly three years, Drang’s homeworld of Shafulb had been part of an interstellar alliance created and enforced by a Saiyan named Luffa.   Drang was the supreme leader of one of the Federation’s founding member-worlds, Shafulb, and while the Federation had been a profitable venture for her planet, she privately chafed at the loss of independence.   She knew she wasn’t alone in this sentiment.   Other planetary leaders had jockeyed for position within the Federation, only to find that they could only get so far before they had to back down to Luffa’s authority.   Luffa was an invincible warrior, and so any path to power that involved opposing her was doomed to failure.   And so Drang had watched and waited for an opportunity to present itself.  

When her retinue deboarded the transport, her host was there at the spaceport to meet her.   He was six feet in height, with a lean, athletic frame.   His thick black hair was meticulously styled in a fashion resembling businessmen and politicians around the galaxy, which matched the blue suit and tie he wore.   When she stepped off the ramp, he knelt before her in a greeting that was clearly intended to resemble the customs of her homeworld.  

“Your Holiness,” he said reverently.    

Impressed and flattered by his gesture, she returned the greeting by extending her hand and allowing him to kiss it.    As he did, he glanced up at her with dark, penetrating eyes that seemed to exude deep respect and reassurance all at once.  

“You honor us,” she said as he rose to his feet.  

“Welcome to Pflaume, Drang Dedruhn,” he said.  “On behalf of my people, I greet you, High Priestess of the Shalfulb.”

“And I you,” Drang replied.   “Rehval, King of the Saiyans.”

********

* * *

“May I ask you a personal question?”  Drang asked as the Saiyan waiter filled her goblet.  

“Please do,” the king replied.  

“Do you spell it ‘R-E-H-V-A-L’, or ‘R-E-V-A-H-L’?”

Rehval began to laugh even as she finished the question.    “Both forms are quite acceptable,” he said, shaking his head with amusement.  “As well as a few others, but those two are the more popular variants.   I understand that some journalists get into heaated arguments over the matter.”

“I only ask because I understood that Saiyans take their names very seriously,” Drang explained.   “I didn’t want to risk offending you.”

“That’s very kind of you, Your Holiness,” he said.   “And your understanding is correct.  Many Saiyans take great offense if one misconstrues their given name.   But I’d like to do away with that custom.   To my way of thinking, the true honor is that the wider universe knows my name, and what it represents, regardless of how it’s spelled or pronounced.   My hope is that my subjects will embrace the same attitude, and so I lead by example.”

“That’s a very interesting point of view, Your Majesty.”

“Please, call me Rehval, Your Holiness.  I cherish my title, but I also enjoy setting it aside now and then, especially for social visits like this one.”

Drang blinked with surprise as the waiter filled Rehval’s goblet.    Everything in the dining room was picture perfect.   The table was set with silverware for each course, and arranged in the proper order for formal meals like this one.   Rehval took his napkin and carefully laid it on his lap before sampling his goblet.  Even the waiter was supremely professional.   Despite his unkempt Saiyan hair, his cummerbund and black waistcoat were so crisp and clean that they seemed brand new.   When he returned to serve the first course, he carried the silver tray in one hand with a professional flourish Drang had never imagined possible.  

“Is something wrong, Your Holiness?  You seem… unsettled.”

“Er, no, of course not,” she said with a nervous laugh.  "To be honest, you’re not at all what I expected, Rehval.“

"Oh?”

“Well, the Saiyans I’ve encountered have all been so wild and uncouth,” Drang said.  "They do what they please, _when_ they please, because they always know they’re the strongest beings in the room.“

He said nothing, but smiled pleasantly as he speared a portion of salad with his fork.

"I mean no offense, of course,” she quickly added.  "The same can be said for mercenaries and soldiers of any number of other species, but I’ve never known Saiyans to be anything else.“

"Naturally,” Rehval said.  "We _are_ a martial culture, after all.  Each Saiyan is a warrior by default, though many of us do pursue other professions.  My grandmother is a mathematician, for example.“

Drang couldn’t conceal her surprise at this.  "I never would have imagined–”

“Most people are surprised to hear that,” he said.  "Honestly, I couldn’t even begin to describe the work she does.  Something involving prime numbers and ‘dimensional fields’, whatever those are.  Between you and me, I think she enjoys doing work that bewilders most people.  It’s not so different from the mercenaries you’ve met, I’d imagine.  She attacks equations and proofs with the same relish as a warrior on the battlefield.    And she’s quite a talented fighter as well.“

"Forgive me, Rehval,” she said.  "I had no idea your species was so sophisticated.“

"Not at all,” Rehval said.  "There are, of course, many on Planet Saiya who resemble the popular image of my people.  But we also have poets, scholars, and artisans as well.  Not as many as Shafulb, I admit, but we’re very proud of what we have.“

"It’s too bad the rest of the galaxy doesn’t know,” Drang said.

“I quite agree,” Rehval replied.  "Which is why I’ve devoted my reign to diplomacy.  Statecraft is something of a dirty word among Saiyan kings, but we’ve been an isolated world for too long.  The galactic community only knows our species from contact with expatriates–usually mercenaries, as you say.  I’m determined to change that, which is why I’ve reached out to leaders like yourself.“

"Is that why you invited me here?” Drang asked.  "To improve the public perception of your world?“

"If that was all I wished to accomplish,” Rehval said, “then I would have invited some other Federation head of state.  Ryba Booth, or Tik-Tak, or the Archduke of Penticede V.  Any of them would have been sufficient for a mere diplomatic summit.  I reached out to you, Your Holiness, because I’ve been an admirer of yours for some time.”

She snorted with amusement, and felt slightly guilty for having made such an unseemly noise.  Drang was used to a certain informality.  As the supreme religious authority on Shafulb, etiquette was literally whatever she defined it to be at a given moment.  Beyond Shafulb, most beings deferred to her because of the political power at her command.  Drang had a long reputation for picking the winning side, and for that reason, people wanted her to be on _their_ side, and were happy to put up with her messy eating habits and raucous laughter.  Indeed, much of Drang’s coarse, worldly behavior in public was a deliberate statement that she was too important to ignore or dismiss.  She flaunted her influence the way Saiyans flaunted their strength, and so she had found the Saiyans relateable in this respect.

But Rehval was _different_.  She had come here half-expecting him to challenge her to a burping contest after sharing an undercooked dinosaur carcass.  Instead, he was the perfect diplomat: polished and practiced and so gregarious that she could barely believe he was a Saiyan at all.  Drang was completely thrown off her game, but she was almost too impressed with Rehval to care.

“It’s true,” Rehval said.  "I’ve studied your career for some time, Your Holiness.    The wars with Despye, Woshad, and Kopey prior to the Federation brought you all together.  Your rise to the office of High Priestess.  I’ve even read some of your writings, though I will admit that I have trouble understanding most of them.“

"Flattery is fine,” Rehval,“ she said, "but if you really have studied my career, you’d know that I never had much patience with yes-men.”

“Another trait of yours that I respect,” Rehval said.  "But I apologize if my praise seemed manipulative or insincere.  I’ve been told that I come across like a bit of a gladhander.“

"Very well.  You’ll find me easier to get along with if you skip the blandishments and say what you mean.”

“I see,” Rehval said.  "Then how _should_ one go about complimenting you, Your Holiness?“

She was blindsided by this.  "Don’t be… You asked me here to discuss _Luffa_ , Your Majesty.”

“That _is_ a topic I wish to discuss,” Rehval admitted.  "But the principal reason I invited you here was because I admire you and I believed I would enjoy your company.   Perhaps I should have made that more clear.   I’m sorry if I misled you.“

The waiter brought a second tray, containing strips of meat glazed in a sweet-smelling sauce.

"Ah, I think you’ll enjoy this,” he said.  "It’s a classic dish here in Pflaume City.“

He picked up a piece from the tray and stuffed it into his mouth.  After swallowing, he kissed each of his fingertips to recover as much of the sauce as he could.  Then he noticed Drang’s confused expression and smiled meekly.

"I’ll admit,” he said.  "I don’t know which fork is considered appropriate for this particular course.  But it’s fun to use your fingers now and again, isn’t it?“

Drang returned his smile and reached for the tray to scoop up a few meat strips for herself.

*******

* * *

"You’re not returning with the retinue?”

Drang had retired for the evening in an apartment in Pflaume City.  Originally, she hadn’t planned to stay beyond dinner, which was now a source of great consternation to one of her archbishops.

“Oh, lighten up, Nozed,” she said to the video display in her bedroom.  "The Saiyan King and I have a great deal to discuss, and it’ll take more than one evening.  He’s generously arranged for me to stay on Pflaume for a few more days, and he would have done the same for my entourage, but there’s no point in keeping them around.  You’ll need them back on Shafulb more than I will here.“

The image of Archbishop Nozed Kaberz was very sharp, considering the distance from Shafulb to Pflaume.  Drang could actually see his nostrils flare with exasperation.

“I don’t like this, Drang,” he said frankly.   Nozed had been one of her closest advisers for decades, and was one of the few people in the universe on a first-name basis with her.  In public, they were careful to use each other’s titles and honorifics with great respect, but in private they were old friends who kept no secrets from each other.  

“Well, why _not_?”  she asked.   “It’s not as if he asked me to stay on Planet Saiya.  Pflaume is neutral ground.   Well, there isn’t any ground here, actually.   The point is, if he wanted to betray me, this would be a lousy place to do it, dearie.”

“Still, the location _was_ his choice, Drang,” Nozed said.  “And he _is_ a Saiyan.    You know how those savages are.   Treachery is in their nature.”

“Don’t say that in front of our _dear_ Federatrix,” Drang teased.   “As for Rehval, he’s different somehow.  I can’t explain it, but I’m certain he can be of great use to us, Nozed.”

“We’re in bed with one Saiyan already,” he said.   “We don’t need a second meddling in our affairs.  Unless he intends to remove the first…?”

“He’s barely mentioned Luffa since I arrived,”  Drang said.  “I don’t know what he wants with her, if anything.   He seems more interested in cultivating good relations with Shafulb.”  

“That doesn’t make sense,” Nozed said.  “Shafulb is part of the Federation, thanks entirely to one of _his_ people.   It’s obvious that he wants to approach her through you.   The only question is whether he considers Luffa an ally or a threat.”

Drang nodded.   She had been conflicted over how she would handle this matter from the moment Rehval had invited her to Pflaume.  Luffa was no ordinary Saiyan, but a _Super_ Saiyan, far more powerful than Rehval or any of his subjects.  Most likely, he viewed Luffa’s influence over the Federation as a direct challenge to his rule, but he was no more able to depose her than Drang was, or any other Federation leader.  If Rehval wanted to eliminate Luffa as a political rival, it made sense for him to reach out to potential allies like Drang.  

On the other hand, it was also possible that Rehval saw Luffa as an asset, one he coveted for his own nation.   Luffa was a humiliation for the rulers of the Federation member worlds, but she was also the Federation’s greatest weapon.    If Rehval could somehow convince Luffa to abandon them for Planet Saiya, it would tilt the balance of power in the galaxy, and not in a way that pleased Drang at all.  

So the dilemma came down to whether Drang was better off with Luffa or without her.   Ultimately, this depended upon what Rehval planned to do with her.  And yet, he seemed to be completely uninterested in discussing the matter.   It had to be a negotiating tactic.  Why else would he have invited her out here?   Unless…

No.  The possibility was too ridiculous to speak aloud, even to Nozed.  

“I need time to find out what this Saiyan is really up to,” Drang finally said.  “I’m sure you can manage without me for a few more days.”

“As you wish.”   Nozed still didn’t like it, but he saw no use in pressing the issue.  

“I take it Luffa still hasn’t returned to Federation space?” Drang asked.  

“At last report she was somewhere in the Ijern sector, at least a week away,” Nozed replied.  “She’s staying just close enough to the borders to come back if there’s trouble, but far enough away not to get involved with day-to-day affairs.”

“As usual,” Drang said.  “The poor girl was just never the same after the Shockmaster War.  Fine.  I’ll contact you when I’m ready to return.  Drang out.”

She shut off the terminal and the image of Nozed vanished.   Drang sighed and prepared for bed.  Rehval had offered to take her on a tour of Pflaume City, which would hopefully giver her a chance to discover his _true_ intentions.

His true intentions toward _Luffa_ , of course.  No, the alternative was too ridiculous to speak aloud…

*******

* * *

_**[9 April 234 Before Age.   Planet Pflaume.]** _

Under most circumstances, a tour of a place like Pflaume City would have bored Drang to tears.  The city was an engineering marvel, but one that only an engineer could truly appreciate.  As long as the place stayed afloat in Pflaume’s ammonia-methane atmosphere, Drang didn’t care about the details, and most of the city’s residents appeared to hold the same opinion.   The amenities in the city were pleasant–even luxurious–for such a remote location, but Drang had seen better elsewhere.   Pflaume City had a large marina, for example, but there was nothing noteworthy about it besides the fact that it was here, floating on an island in the clouds.  

And yet, Rehval managed to make the whole experience seem worthwhile.  Pflaume was something of a second home to him, he had told her.   He tried to visit whenever he could, and there was something infectious about his enthusiasm for the place.   His favorite monument in the city would have meant nothing to her if she had encountered it alone, but listening to him profess his love for the sculptor’s technique was a refreshing experience.

“I hope I’m not trying your patience, Your Holiness,” Rehval said.  “I’ve been told that I tend to ramble where Pflaume City is concerned, and I know you’re a busy woman.”

“Not at all, Rehval,” she said cheerfully.  “Some of my best friends are ramblers, and it’s been too long since I had a chance to while away an afternoon.

She patted his arm, which was currently around her own.   Drang couldn’t recall when that had happened, but she didn’t feel any pressing need to separate herself from him.  

“I was wondering,” Rehval said.  “The clothes you have on.  Are they also holy raiments, like the vestments you wore yesterday?”

She looked down at the light blue dress she wore.   “It’s purely secular,” she said.  “Though technically, my office as high priestess automatically consecrates whatever clothing I wear.”

“That must be very convenient,” Rehval said.  

“I suppose it would be, if I took advantage of it more often,” Drang said.    “I usually wear the official vestments at all times.  I’ve grown accustomed to them, and the long flowing robes compliment my figure.”

“Then you wore this just for today,” Rehval said.  “I’m honored.”

“I only…” Drang found herself at a loss for words, which seemed to happen a lot with him.  “It just seemed that since I was taking time away from my duties…”

“I prefer the way you look now, if I may say so,” Rehval said.   “Though you look lovely in anything.”

She didn’t know how to respond to this.   Drang and Rehval were both mammalian humanoids, but his species was of a simian descent, while hers was delpinoid.   She hadn’t seen his furry tail since they had met—she assumed it was tucked away somewhere beneath his suit–but the hair on his olive-skinned scalp and the pointed nose on his mostly flat face were enough to distinguish him as an alien.    The Shafulb had slick, lustrous skin, which was mostly jet black except for a white region extending from their chin down to their torso.   They had no visible hair.  Their ears were essentially holes on the sides of their heads, and they had blunt snouts instead of noses.    Healthy Shafulbs were thicker than typical humanoids, due to the presence of a layer of blubber beneath their skin.    Drang was fatter than most, which didn’t bother her at all, though she knew many alien males compared her unfavorably with women of their own species.  

And yet, here was Rehval, the King of the Saiyans, practically telling her she was pretty, as if they were adolescents on a date!   She had heard of Shafulb who dabbled with non-delphinoid species, but she never understood the attraction, and she never dreamed that any alien would ever express attraction towards her, sincerely or otherwise.  

“I hope you’ve worked up an appetite,” Rehval said before she could question his motives.   “I’ve saved the best for last.”   He led her into a elevator and set it to take them to the city’s highest level.  

“I thought you said all the best restaurants are on Level 12,” Drang said.

“They are,” Rehval replied.   He clasped his hands behind his back and rocked on his heels slightly whiled the elevator car ascended.   “That’s why I… Well, I shouldn’t give it away.”

The suspense began to whet Drang’s interest, and when they reached the top level, she began to understand what he meant by “saving the best for last”.   The first level was an observation deck that spanned the entire width of the city.   Above them, the violet skies of Pflaume could be seen in all directions.   There was no sound, but as the thick clouds streaked around them, it looked very much like they had stepped outside the protective hull of the city to stand fully exposed to the poisonous atmosphere outside.  

“ _Magnificent_ , isn’t it?” Rehval asked.   “It’s not much to look at during the night.  The clouds are too thick for the stars to be visible, but I see enough of the stars whenever I’m on Planet Saiya.  No, _this_ is a a wonder you can only find here.   Ah, and when the sun sets… well, we really should come by later for that.   The days on Pflaume are thirteen hours long.”

Drang couldn’t stop looking at the sky.  “How–?” was as far as she could express her confusion.  

“We’re still inside the hull of the city,” he assured her.   “The top level is covered by a dome made of the same materials, but there’s an elaborate sensor array covering the dome’s exterior.   A fiber optic network inside the hull of the dome transmits that information to projection screens mounted on the interior surface, giving us a real-time view of the outside.”

“Incredible,” Drang said.   Despite her holy office, Drang was rarely moved in a spiritual way, though the sight of Pflaume’s atmosphere roaring around her in all directions made her recall an ancient prayer.   “Thy sea is so great, and my boat is so small…” she murmured to herself.  

“I’m glad you like it,” Rehval said, taking her by the hand.   “I know it’s difficult to look away, but there’s a lot to see on the deck as well.   It’s mostly parkland here, but there’s some mansions on the other side of those hills in the east.    Ah, and there’s Cairt with our lunch.   Perfect timing.”

Cairt was a Saiyan who had prepared a picnic blanket and arranged various dishes upon it.   Rehval led Drang by the hand to  the site, and dismissed Cairt with a firm handshake.  He then sat down and began describing the various delicacies to her.  

She sat beside him, much closer than she had planned, and hung on his every word.

********

* * *

“This is all too much,” Drang said two hours later, after they had finished their meal.   “I can’t remember having such a wonderful time.”

“The pleasure is all mine, Your Holiness,” Rehval said.   “Your company has been an oasis in a desert of official duties and responsibilities.”  

“Please,” she said.  “Call me _Drang_.”

He nodded in appreciation of this gesture, and kissed her hand gently.    “All right,” he said.   “I can’t thank you enough for sharing your time with me, Drang.”

He leaned in and kissed her on the tip of her snout.  She would have thought this experience would be stranger than it turned out to be.    Impulsively, she returned the kiss.

It occurred to her that when she closed her eyes, his alien physiology didn’t matter all that much.   He was _here_ , he was warm and affectionate, and none of the Shafulb lovers from her heady youth had ever made her feel quite this way.  They had been attractive, certainly, but they only loved her for her authority.    To those men, she had been like a stone idol, to be revered and maintained.   Rehval made her feel like a _woman_ , perhaps for the first time in her long life.  

And when she opened her eyes, it occurred to her that his alien physiology was much more attractive to her than it had been before…

********

* * *

The majestic Pflaumian sunset had come and gone some time ago.   Rehval had taken Drang to a villa on the observation deck that belonged to a wealthy friend of his, who had a standing invitation for Rehval to make himself at home during his visits to Pflaume City.    In the guest bedroom, Drang wrapped herself in a blanket from the bed and curled up on a canapé in front of the fireplace.  

“Where did they get the wood?” Drang asked as she watched the flames dance upon the burning logs.   “Don’t tell me there’s a forest on Pflaume City too.”

Rehval made a genial laugh as he opened a bottle of Camelian brandy and poured glasses for both of them.  “There is an arboretum, as a matter of fact, but my friend had these shipped in from his home planet.  He told me that they produced the best firewood in the universe, and he wanted nothing but the finest for his home away from home.”

Drang cackled softly.   “The things people do with their money,” she said as she took one of the glasses from him.   “Well, as long as I don’t have to foot the bill, I can’t complain.”

“My thoughts exactly,” Rehval said.  

She wasn’t sure what to say.   There weren’t enough words to properly express how she felt about him, and how he had made her feel.   To think that she had found everything she had ever wanted in a _Saiyan_.  A few days ago, she would have made an off-color joke about how making love to a Saiyan was a form of assisted suicide, but _now_ …  

Well, she knew _better_ now, didn’t she?  There was something intoxicating about trusting oneself to someone powerful enough to destroy an entire world.   The only thing she feared from him now was that he would leave her.    

“You’ve been very quiet, Drang,” Rehval said as he walked around her view of the fire to reach a chest on the other side of the room.  “I suppose I miss that boisterous voice of yours.”

“I just… well, I don’t want to screw this up,” she said plainly.   “All of this… and _you_ … It’s more than I deserve.   It’s so _wonderful_ , and–”

“I feel the same way,” he said.  “This has certainly gone well beyond a diplomatic visit, hasn’t it?”

Drang smiled.   “Eventually, we’ll have to go back to our respective worlds, won’t we?   We can see each other again, but it doesn’t feel like it’ll be enough.”

He opened one of the drawers in the chest and retrieved a small box.  “Perhaps I can ease your fears,” he said.   “I’d like you to have this.”

Drang looked at the box in his hands with wonder.  “What is it?” she asked.  

“A token of my esteem.    The man who made it claimed that it was an amulet that protects the bond between lovers.”

He opened the lid, and Drang saw a golden band with a thin leather cord to fasten it.   In the center of the band was a red jewel, which seemed to glow more intensely than it should have in the low lighting of the room.  

“It’s beautiful,” Drang said, somewhat surprised by her own reaction.  If any of this were happening to a character in a movie, Drang would have walked out of the theater and demanded a refund.    There was a storage bin on Shafulb that contained a large collection of gaudy trinkets she had received from various envoys over the decades.   She regarded such “tokens of esteem” as perfunctory gifts, worthy only of silent contempt.  

But this one was different.      It was a gift from _Rehval_ , a symbol of _his_ love.   And more than that, it seemed like it was made for _her_ , like it was calling out to her…  Even so, she felt unworthy of what it stood for.  

“I couldn’t,” she said awkwardly.   “It’s too much…”

“At least let me see how it looks on you,” Rehval offered.   He moved around behind her canapé and gently slipped the amulet under her chin.   She yielded to his request, mostly because it allowed her to feel his touch once again.  

“Bear with me,” he said with a frustrated chuckle.  “I’ve never actually put this on anyone before.  The fastener’s a little tricky…   _There_ we are.”

In that moment, when he linked the amulet around her neck, she felt something flow through her that was beyond her comprehension.   She shuddered, nearly spilling her drink, and her breathing became shallow and rapid.   She tingled all over, and when he walked around the canapé to face her, she looked up at him with a passion exponentially greater than what she had felt for him before.  

“Breathtaking,” he said.   “It really suits you, Drang.  It’s entirely your choice, but it would mean a lot to me if you would keep it.”

Every word he said hit her like a drug.   He was beautiful.  His voice was beautiful.   He was offering her a choice, but how could she refuse something that meant so much to him.   A moment ago she had actually tried to decline his gift!  Now, she couldn’t imagine living without it.  

“ _I’ll never take it off_ ,” Drang gasped.   Even this seemed insufficient somehow.    She wished there was some way to wear it even more than she already was, even if that made no sense.  

“Very good,” he said.   “I’m pleased to see you like it.”

Drang smiled blankly and tracked him with her eyes as he moved toward the chest to fetch his glass.    “ _Rehval!_  Let me get that for you!” she offered.  

“There’s no need,” he said as he raised the glass in his hand.  “See?   I’ve already got it.”

“Oh,” she said, cursing herself for being such a fool.    

Dimly, she realized that something had happened to her, that she was no longer quite herself anymore, but she couldn’t bring herself to care.   If the amulet was responsible, then there was nothing to be done, since he wanted her to keep it.    If he liked her better this way, then so be it.  Whatever made him happy.  That was all that mattered.  

He pulled up a chair from the corner of the room and sat down in front of the fireplace to look her in the eye.  

“A toast,” he said, holding up his glass.  “To our new relationship.”

She nodded with an adoring grin and they downed the brandy together.   It tasted sweeter than anything she had ever known, because it was from _him_.   _He_ had given it to her.   She would do anything for _him_ , and it would never be enough to repay his love.

“Now,” he said with a frown.   “I think this would be a good time for us to discuss Luffa.”

Drang couldn’t agree more.

**NEXT: The Invitation**


	78. Chapter 78

_**[20 April, 234 Before Age.  Fanzer VI.]** _

Luffa crossed her arms as she paced around the office, her furry tail waving lazily behind her with each step.

“The truth is,” she said, “I don’t really do mercenary work anymore.   I stopped seeing jobs that appealed to me, and after a while I stopped looking  at the listings.  But money’s been a little tight lately, so I decided to jump back into the game.”

“Well, we’re glad you finally responded to our calls,” said the man behind the desk.   His lavende-skinned face was mottled with acne and wisps of curly hair on his chin and neck that might generously be described as a beard.   “The slorg infestation on our sister planet of Fanzer VII has gotten so bad that we’ve been forced to evacuate the whole planet.”

“Evacuated?” asked Zatte, who was admiring a small aquarium tank in the far corner of the room.   “We detected Fanzeri life signs there on our way into the system.  Are you sure you got everyone to safety?”

He gestured nervously at the question.  “Ah… well, we do have a small crew of… well, you might call them _observers_ down on the planet.   They’ve been filming the slog population for some time now.   It’s part of a nature documentary, you see.”

“If they get in my way, I’m not responsible for what happens,” Luffa said.   “Now if you want, I can cover them while they leave the planet, but that’ll cost more.”

“Nature documentary?” Zatte asked.   “Who’d want to watch a bunch of slorgs?”

Luffa smiled.  “They’re kind of cute, really.   I mean, they’re not for everyone.   The six-inch teeth and venomous drool can be a turn-off.”

“What about all the tentacles?” Zatte added.

Luffa rubbed her hands together excitedly and licked her lips.  “We’re gonna have leftovers for _weeks_ after this.”

“Um.   Well, the camera crews are very well protected,” the man said.  “And they know to stay put while you’re in the field.”

“Hmmph.    Have it your way,” Luffa said.  

“Now, uh…” the man wrung his hands together as he struggled to find the right way to approach the topic.   “You _do_ plan to fight the slorgs in your transformed state, yes?”

Luffa looked at him skeptically.   “Depends on the situation,” she said.  “What’s it matter?”

“Nothing, nothing,” he said quickly.   “It’s just that we’ll be getting a lot of footage of you slaughtering them, and we’d like to know what we’ll be in for.”

“Are you making a movie here?” Zatte asked, suddenly taking a greater interest in the conversation.

“A movie?!”  He was starting to sweat.   “Why, whatever gave you that idea, Ms…  I’m sorry what was you name again?”

“Zatte,” she said.  

“Nice to meet you.  And will _you_ be joining Luffa on Fanzer VII?”

“No, she won’t,” Luffa said.  “I need her in orbit giving me a headcount on the slorgs with the ship’s sensors.    Do you _want_ me to transform for this mission?”

“Well, um… it’s entirely at your discretion of course,” he said sheepishly, “but I think it would satisfy everyone if you alternated a few times.”

“They _are_ filming a movie,” Zatte said.   “They want you to switch back and forth because it looks cool.”

To emphasize this point, Zatte widened her stance, raised her fists to either side of her torso, and cried out: “HIIIIIIIIIYAAA _AAHHHH_.”  

Luffa looked back at her with a disgusted expression.  “Never do that again,” she said in a low voice.  

“ _Fwoosh-fwoosh-fwoosh-fwoosh_ –” Zatte added.

Luffa ignored her and planted her palms on the edge of the desk.   “Are you telling me,” she said as she leaned in closer to the man, “that you people _deliberately_ bred slorgs on your planet just so you could film me killing them all?”

“Well, that’s not quite true…” he said, tugging on the collar of his shirt.   “The fact is that we did it to film several _other_ mercenaries in action, but the underwriters refused to insure the project unless we gave them additional help.  And you _are_ a major celebrity in your own right, so it seemed like the perfect solution.”

“ _What_ other mercenaries?” Luffa demanded.   “If this a team effort, then I need to coordinate with– What the hell is this?”

He had taken a flier out of his desk drawer and handed it to her.   The image printed on the front was a slick promotional composition, featuring four women in low-cut tank tops.  Each of them was bearing a large firearm and and aggressive expression.  Behind them was a slorg, who was pointing its tentacles in a suggestive fashion.    Luffa held it up for Zatte to see.

“You’d fit right in,” Zatte said with a smirk.

“You _do_ want the slorgs killed, don’t you?” Luffa asked.   “Or would I just be there to keep these four alive while you film them?”

“Oh yes,” the man said, “we absolutely need the slorgs removed.   We’re expecting a shipment of tharrgs next year, and we can’t risk any of them interbreeding.   A litter of thlargs would be a serious setback to our production schedule.”

Luffa rubbed the bridge of her nose as she took all of this in.  “You’re lucky I like the taste of slorg hash so much, or I  would have stormed out of here already,” she said.  “As it stands, we need to renegotiate my fee.”

“Is that all?  Well, I’m authorized to triple your payment.   Honestly, we were surprised you were charging such a low rate in the first place.”

“Done,” Luffa said.  “Now let’s get on with this before I change my mind.   I need to talk to these ladies and patch their comm equipment in with my ship.”

“Oh, there was one other thing, before you go,” he said as Luffa turned to leave.    He reached into his drawer one more time and withdrew a manila envelope.  

Luffa took the envelope from him and looked at it.   “I don’t accept payment in paper bills,” she said.  “You need too transfer the money into my account.”

“Oh, that’s not money,” he said.  

“Then what is it?” Luffa demanded.

“It’s the costume we wanted you to wear while you fight the slorgs.”

Luffa looked at the envelope as if it were a live cobra.  She shook it slightly, and heard something jingle inside.  Then she heard Zatte giggling behind her.  

“If it doesn’t fit, I’m sure we can have wardrobe make some adjustments,” he said.  

Luffa glared at him, and then slowly reached for his throat…

********

* * *

“I can’t believe you gave them all wedgies,” Zatte said.  

Luffa made a satisfied grunt as she settled into the captain’s chair of her star-yacht.  “I took care of their slorg infestation, didn’t I?   All it cost those slobs were a few hundred cameras and some _wardrobe adjustments_.”

“What do you want me to do with this?” Zatte asked, holding the manila envelope with Luffa’s proposed costume inside.    

Luffa shrugged.  “Put it in storage.   If you behave, maybe I’ll wear it for our anniversary.”

“I can hardly wait,” Zatte said.   “But we still need some income.   You’ve used up most of the money you saved up from before you started the Federation, and the Fed doesn’t pay you a dime.”  

“I know,” Luffa said.   “I never thought I’d need to worry about it.   Keda always handled my finances so well that it never came up.    I’d just head out  into space and people would line up to hire me out.   The galaxy’s gotten a lot more peaceful lately.” 

“You can blame yourself for that, _xan’nil-Dor_ ,” Zatte said.   “No one wants to start trouble anymore now that they know you’ll come along to settle it.   You’re forcing people to accept that they can’t use war to solve their problems anymore.”

Luffa slumped in her seat.  “Yeah, but what happens after I die?   Does the whole thing start up again?”

“Maybe,” Zatte said.   “But if you keep this up long enough, maybe it’ll make the galaxy a more stable place.”

“That’s kind of a depressing thought,” Luffa said.  “Not that I wanted to spend my life beating up small fry, but it’s better than nothing.”

“We could always go back to Luffasworld,” Zatte suggested.   “You and I can live off the land for a while.”

“I’d get bored within a week,” Luffa said.  

“We could get jobs,” Zatte suggested.  “Construction, demolition, public appearances, restaurateur, there’s all sorts of things you could do to make some extra money.”

“I don’t know,” Luffa said.  

“What about the message we got from Drang Dedruhn, then?”  Zatte asked.  

Luffa drummed her fingers on the armrest of her chair.   “She seemed a little… _off_ somehow, didn’t she?”

“I wouldn’t know,” Zatte said.   “I’ve never met her.”

“Right, right,” Luffa said.  “Maybe it’s nothing, but she just didn’t seem like her old self.   That jewelry on her neck, for instance.   I’ve never seen her wear anything like that before, but I’ve been away from the Federation for a while.   Maybe she’s just trying something new.”

“Forget Drang’s fashion statements,” Zatte said.  “I’m talking about what she _said_.   About the Saiyan King asking you to return to your homeworld.”

“First of all,” Luffa said with a frown.   “That planet isn’t _my_ homeworld.   I was born in my parents’ spaceship, at least twenty thousand light years away.”

“You know what I mean,” Zatte said.   “Your parents were born there, right?”

“Second of all,” Luffa went on, “it’s not the _real_ Planet  Saiya, where the Saiyan people first originated.   That planet was lost to time, and probably destroyed in some great war.”

“Why do you think that?” Zatte asked.  

“Because that’s what happened to all our other planets,” Luffa said with a shrug.  “Every so often, a bunch of Saiyans try to establish a base of operations on a suitable planet, and the really successful ones end up attracting more Saiyans to their banner.  Eventually, it ends up becoming a ‘homeworld’, for lack of anything better to call it.  And sooner or later, they end up starting a war they can’t win, and the planet ends up becoming a casualty.   The Saiyans who survive the aftermath move on, and eventually the whole cycle starts over again.”

“Who would attack a planet full of Saiyans?” Zatte wondered.  

“Use you imagination, Zattie,” Luffa said.   “The Shockmaster could have done it, if he had a reason.   There’s no telling what kind of powerful aliens were running around in the old days.  They’d see a population of Saiyans the same way a Saiyan would look at an army of Dorluns.  Besides, you’ve seen how well Saiyans get along.   There were only eight of us on Nat-Chezz II, and all we did was bicker.   Hell, Lesseri killed her own mother.   Multiply that by a hundred thousand, and ask yourself how long a planet can last with all that infighting going on.”

“Are you saying that Saiyans aren’t _meant_ to settle together in large groups?” Zatte asked.  

“I’m saying that this new Planet Saiya is a sham,” Luffa said.   “Sadala fell, and so did Guardenn, Tabul, Krispa, and  all the others before it.   But _His Majesty_ thinks he has it figured out this time, so he named his planet ‘Saiya’ to convince people that it’s more legitimate, as if the name makes any difference.”

“Do you think that’s why he wants to see you?” Zatte asked.  “Maybe he thinks you can help him unite the Saiyans.”

“Hah!   If _that’s_ what he thinks, then he’s a bigger fool than I imagined.  We’re enemies, remember?  Or did he forget about those ten Saiyans he sent to kill us two years ago?”

“Maybe he wants to make amends,” Zatte said.  

“Then he should send me his severed head on a platter,” Luffa muttered.  “It would be a good start, at least.”

*******

_**[21 April 234 Before Age.  Interstellar Space.]** _

“Come on, keep it up.   You’re doing great!”

When Zatte and Luffa sparred, they usually used the cargo bay, since it was the largest empty space on the ship, and the furthest away from any vital systems.  Luffa used only a tiny portion of her full power, while Zatte fought with everything she had, trusting Luffa to stop her before she did any harm to either of them.  

Zatte had a love-hate relationship with these sessions.   It was great exercise, and Luffa was probably one of the finest martial artists in creation, so there was definitely a benefit to it.   Furthermore, it was a guaranteed way to cheer Luffa up from even the foulest of moods.    And Zatte suspected that sparring was key to a healthy Saiyan marriage.  On the other hand, Luffa had a tendency to get carried away.  She would either push Zatte too hard, or drop her guard and let Zatte tag her a time or two.    

Today was no exception.  Luffa failed to block one of Zatte’s punches, and thus took a hard right to the face.  A trickle of blood slowly emerged from the corner of Luffa’s mouth, and she smiled proudly as she resumed blocking.  

“Would you _please_ stop doing that?!” Zatte shouted.    

Luffa simply grinned and made a savage noise from her throat.   Sparring was fine, but Luffa craved genuine combat above all else.   In lieu of the real thing, letting your sparring partner get in a few free shots was a good way to satisfy the craving.  It was pointless to try to reason with her on this, so Zatte tried another tack, and turned her back on Luffa.  

“Wh-what are you doing?” she asked.  

“Quitting,” Zatte said.  She walked to a rack on the wall where they had hung towels.    Zatte took one and wiped her face and neck.  

“But we just _started_ ,” Luffa whined.  

“I had a personal goal for today,” Zatte said.   “I was going to tag you at least once, and I did.    So I’m calling it a day.”

“But I _let_ you–!”  Luffa was furious at being caught this way, but then she chuckled.   “Serves me right, doesn’t it?  I’ll have to be more careful.”

Zatte sat down on the deck and opened a bottle of water.  “Was it worth it?” she asked.  

Luffa wiped the side of her mouth and sat down beside her.   “Absolutely,” she said.    “You get a little stronger each time.”

“I wouldn’t think you’d be able to measure the difference,” Zatte said.   “As strong as you are, any improvement I make must be tiny.”

“Oh, I can tell,” Luffa said.   She looked at Zatte with a glowing admiration, which Zatte could only vaguely understand.  

“What’s wrong with King Rehval wanting to establish a strong Saiyan nation?” she asked.  

“What?” Luffa asked.

“We were talking about it yesterday,” Zatte said.   “I know you always used to say your mother was staunchly against the monarchy, but I want to know the political theory behind it.”

“Oh.   Well, it’s a matter of biology,” Luffa said.  

“Biology.”

“Right.   My people are just unruly by nature.   Trying to set up a _kingdom_ for Saiyans is like building an aquarium for dogs.   It just doesn’t work.   The king has to keep his subjects on a tight leash, or they won’t obey him.   But if he tries to exert too much control, they’ll rise up and rebel.”

“So your mother left Saiya because the king was too strict?” Zatte asked.

“She left because he was too _soft_ ,” Luffa said.  “Rehval thinks the key to everything is to style his reign after leaders from other cultures.   He wears alien clothes, keeps his hair in an alien style, and he loves rubbing elbows with alien diplomats.  He practices _statecraft_ and _palace intrigue_ to maintain his power.   A _worthy_ Saiyan prince would rule through strength and honor alone.”

“Like you?”

“Me?”

“You’re the only other Saiyan head of state I know.    You _do_ run the Federation, don’t you, _Madam Federatrix_?”

“That’s different,” Luffa insisted.   “The Federation Council does all the governing.  I just make sure they don’t fight among themselves.”

“Maybe so, but you’ve done your fair share of meet-and-greets.   You went out of your way to recruit other planets to join the Federation.”

“Well, so what if I did?” Luffa said.  “None of those people are Saiyans.”

“But _you_ are,” Zatte said.   “All of it was your idea, which makes me wonder if this ‘unruly’ talk is a lot of hot air.   Maybe you don’t give your own species enough credit.   You’re not a bunch of wild savages.   I think Rehval may have realized that, and he’s taking it into account.”

“You actually agree with him?” Luffa asked, visibly unsettled by what she was hearing.  

“I didn’t say that,” Zatte said.  

“I don’t see the Dorluns all gathering together on one planet,” Luffa muttered.   “It’d, sure make you guys a lot easier to find…”

“We’re _supposed_ to scatter ourselves throughout the universe,” Zatte said.   “It’s written in the Dorlun Holybook.   If I get cut off from the others, that’s just how it has to be.   But that doesn’t mean the Saiyans have to do things the same was s my species.   They might be better off working together in the same place.   With the right leader…”

“Rehval?” Luffa asked.  “There’s nothing _right_ about him.   He’s a disgrace.”

“Then overthrow him,” Zatte suggested.   “All I’m saying is that he might be taking the Saiyan people in the right direction, even if he’s only setting the stage for someone else to take over as their leader.”

Luffa laughed.  “Oh, that’d be rich.  Crown myself Queen of the Saiyans.  Mother would be rolling over in her grave if there had been anything left of her to bury.”

“Fine, fine,” Zatte said.   “ _Don’t_ be queen.   Appoint yourself Prime Minister, or Commander in Chief, or Venerated Sex Machine, whatever.  The Saiyans would still follow you.”

“The Saiyans _hate_ me,” Luffa said.  “They think I’m an alien pretending to be a Saiyan because they can’t stomach the idea of a Saiyan who can change her hair.   Most of them think Super Saiyans are a myth, and the ones that don’t think I can’t be a Super Saiyan because I’m a woman.  Or they think I can’t be a woman because I’m a Super Saiyan.    That’s why the public is so confused about who I really am.   They prefer the lies and rumors over the truth.”

“But that’s _exactly why_ you should take over the Saiyan homeworld!” Zatte argued.   “Then everyone would _have_ to accept the truth!    They’d have to see you for who you really are, and then they’d _finally love you,_ just like… well, the way I do.”

Luffa put her arm around Zatte and scooted closer to her.   “I’ve got all the love I need right here on this ship,” she said with a contented smile.   “As long as you know what I’m about, that’s enough.”

*******

_**[22 April, 234 Before Age.  Interstellar Space.]** _

Luffa’s star-yacht was designed to accommodate several dozen passengers.  In spite of this, Luffa usually slept on a pile of mats in the gymnasium.   It was a place she used to let off steam, and the broken and twisted exercise machines strewn across the deck bore silent testimony of this.  

On occasion, she would sleep in Zatte’s cabin, which was one of the more spacious guest rooms on the ship, but Luffa never slept well, and she worried that she might injure Zatte, or at least keep her awake all night.  It was one of the unspoken problems with their marriage.   Their frequent arguments only made it harder for Luffa to justify sleeping in her wife’s bed.   It was just easier to stick to the routine, to lie awake on the gym mats and wait for exhaustion to overcome her.   If the nightmares came, she would face them alone, and no one else needed to suffer.  

Two hours later, Luffa awoke with a scream, and realized she had transformed in her sleep.   The beach towels she used for  blankets were tangled around her ankles and knees, and she was drenched in sweat.   Fighting her panic, she grabbed her hair in her hands and levitated herself into the air, just high enough that she wouldn’t kick anything while she fought to power down.  

The key was to ride it out without tearing a hole in the ship.  As long as she exerted her strength against her own body, she could get through it.   Eventually, she shifted positions, curling up into a tight ball, and digging her fingernails into the flesh of her palms.  She hated to do this, because the wounds on her hands had worried Keda so much.   After Keda’s death, Luffa had resolved to stop, but it wasn’t so easy.   For a few minutes, all Luffa could think about was how brave Keda was, far braver than the “ultimate warrior” who was currently in a fetal position, sobbing over a bad dream.  

Little by little, she forced herself to calm down, at least enough to lower herself back down to the deck.  Her aura faded, and darkness returned to the room.  She smelled her own blood on her hands and took some strange comfort in the odor.    It was real: the pain, the blood, her hands, they were all _real_.     She was ashamed of her own weakness and fear, but she would be all right.  

And then the door slid open, and she was bathed in light from the corridor outside.    Luffa was startled, until she recognized Zatte’s silhouetted figure  step into the threshold.  

“I sensed your _ki_ blowing up.   You okay?” she asked.  

“Nope.”  Luffa replied.  

*******

* * *

After tending to the cuts on Luffa’s palms, Zatte carried her back to her own cabin.    Luffa found this rather undignified, but supposed it served her right for waking Zatte up like this.   Besides, Luffa wasn’t so proud that she couldn’t appreciate being held.  

“I’m okay,” she murmured.   “I’ll just go back to the gym and–”

“I just want to make sure you’re okay, all right?” Zatte said as she opened the door.   “And I’d rather sit with you in a real bed than on the floor.”  

She gently lowered Luffa onto the mattress and wrapped one of the sheets around her.   “Tell me about it,” she said.  

“It’s… nothing you haven’t heard before,” Luffa said.  

“So bore me,” Zatte said as she lay down beside her.    

“It was the usual,” Luffa said.   “The Tikosi.”

It was a simple word that spoke volumes.   The Tikosi had massacred Zatte’s community, then took Luffa captive and tortured her for months as part of a cruel experiment to learn the secrets of Saiyan potential.  This alone would have been traumatic enough, but Luffa learned that her own father had conspired with the Tikosi.    Worst of all, she happened to be pregnant at the time, and so the Tikosi removed her unborn child, handing the remains over to her husband Kandai.

It was this terrible ordeal that had transformed Luffa into a Super Saiyan.  The Tikosi never dreamed that their experiments would backfire so disastrously.   Luffa’s father had believed that her power could be transplanted from one Saiyan to another, but he couldn’t replicate Luffa’s rage, or her compassion for the aliens who had risked everything to free her.   What Orij failed to understand–what _all_ Saiyans failed to understand–was that mere ambition was only the beginning.   The true potential of the Saiyan race could only be realized through suffering and intense empathy.  This was Luffa’s greatest strength… and her greatest weakness.  

Zatte could relate to a certain degree.   She had lost her right eye fighting the Tikosi, to say nothing of her friends and comrades in the Dorlun colony.   And yet, she had found a measure of serenity at Luffa’s side.   It wasn’t quite as dark a bargain as Luffa’s, but the name “Tikosi” still held a similar meaning to both women.

“It was like… I was _here_ ,” Luffa said.   “On the ship.  And then I thought about my son, and I remembered he was back on the Tikosi planet, so I was suddenly there again.  It doesn’t make a lot of sense.”

“You miss him,” Zatte said.  

“I felt like I abandoned him,” Luffa said.  “Like I had to be back there, paralyzed and helpless, because at least then I was still _with_ him, sharing his fate.”

“Listen to me,” Zatte said.  She sat up and took hold of Luffa’s shoulders.  “Listen to me.   You didn’t abandon your baby.   They took him from you, and there was nothing you could have done.”  

“I know,” Luffa said.   “But sometimes…”

“Go on.”

“Can I ask you a personal question?”

“Of course.”

Luffa took a deep breath, as though gathering the courage to ask.  “Do you miss the colonists as much as you used to?”

“No,” Zatte said honestly.  “I mean, losing that battle hurts, and I guess it always will, but it was years ago, and a lot’s happened to us since then.  I try to think of us as honoring their memory with our actions.   We stay alive, try to help other people out.    It won’t bring the colonists back, but it’s all we can do.”

“Is that how you feel about your eye?” Luffa asked.   “And Keda?”

“My eye?  I’m pretty used to that now.”  She ran her fingers over the patch that concealed the old injury.  “Sometimes I forget that I haven’t always been this way.   As for Keda… well, I don’t think that’s going to stop hurting for a long time.”

They were quiet for a moment, as they each considered what they had lost, and then Zatte realized what Luffa was getting at.   “Luffa, is that’s what’s eating you?   Do you feel like you don’t miss your son as much as you should?”

She looked down at her knees.   “Keda told me once that Dorluns don’t believe in revenge.    She lost _everyone_ in the Tikosi attack, and she was still asking me to show mercy.  I didn’t really understand it, but that was why I didn’t kill _all_ the Tikosi when I first transformed.   I couldn’t bring myself to attack the ones who couldn’t fight back.  

“The ones I really wanted to kill were my father… and _Kandai_.   Hunting him down was what kept me going for a long time.   But then we found him, and… Well, he’s been dead a long time, and my son is still gone.  Killing Kandai didn’t really solve anything.”

“I’ve been wondering about that,” Zatte said.  “You told me that Kandai said he sold your son’s remains to Planet Saiya.   And you seemed to want to do something about that after you finished the Shockmaster, but then you beat him, and you never brought it up again.”

“I don’t know what those bastards were planning, but it never really mattered,” Luffa said.    “Kandai thought it was for some genetic engineering research, but the Tikosi learned the hard way that Saiyans can’t be reduced to numbers.   At first I wanted to kill Rehval because it would give me another target for my wrath, but the Shockmaster changed my plans.   I trained to beat him, and married you… spent time with Doc and Keda and Wampaaan’riix and the others.   And then when Keda died, I realized that what happened to my son wasn’t the only thing motivating me anymore.”

She ran her finger along her abdomen, where Zatte knew there was a surgical scar from where the Tikosi had removed her child.   Then Luffa looked up at her and shrugged.   “It’s like your eye, I guess.  I’ve gotten used to it, maybe.”

“I think your dream says otherwise,” Zatte said.   “You still care about what happened to your son, Luffa.   It’s just that you’ve come to care about a lot of other things too.  That’s life.  The dead remain where they fell, and we keep moving forward.”

“All right,” Luffa said.   “What would you do about this if you were me?”

“If I were you?” Zatte said.  

“Yeah,” Luffa said.  

Zatte made a mischievous grin. “The first thing _I’d_ do is step in front of a full-length mirror, _strip down_ , turn Super Saiyan, and–”

“Cut it out!” Luffa said.  “I mean… I don’t know.   How would a Super _Dorlun_ handle this?”

“Huh,” Zatte said.   “Now there’s a thought.   Do I have a tail in this scenario?”

“Sure, why not?” Luffa muttered.  

“I think I’d shave stripes into the fur,” Zatte said.  “Make it look really cute–”

“Zattie, _please_ ,” Luffa said.  

“All right,” Zatte said.   “If it was up to _me_ , I’d go to Planet Saiya and settle things with King Rehval.”

“You’d avenge your dead son?” Luffa asked.  “That’s not very Dorlun at all.”

“I’m not talking about avenging anyone,” Zatte said.   “Rehval’s an unknown.  He made arrangements with your enemies, then he sent soldiers to kill us, and now he’s asking you to come meet him face to face.   Maybe he wants to make peace, or maybe he’s finally come up with a way to destroy you, or something else entirely, but you need to _find out_.   He’s too dangerous to ignore.  A Dorlun would want to assess the potential threat, and find exactly what his intentions are.”

“Then what?” Luffa asked.  “I should overthrow him and take over?”

“That’s up to you,” Zatte said.   “Aside from Rehval, the other Saiyans are no threat without him giving them orders.  Personally, I’d crown myself queen and have a harem of Saiyan babes give me foot-rubs all day, but that’s just me.”

“Hmmph,” Luffa said.   “He owes me an explanation at the very least.   And it’s not like I’ve got any other pressing business.  Maybe I’ve been avoiding this.  In a way he’s all I have left of my son.   Once I settle things with him… I really will have to let my boy go.”

“I’ll contact Drang in the morning and see what we can arrange,” Zatte said.   “Why don’t you lie down and try to get some rest?   I’ll wake you up if you start to have another episode.”

Luffa shook her head.   “Nah, I’ve kept you up long enough,” she said.    

“It’s okay,” Zatte said.  “I’m not really sleepy right now.”

“Yeah, I’m kind of wired myself actually,” Luffa said.  

“Well, if you need to work off some of that nervous energy…”  Zatte began.

“Yeah…?”

Zatte swung her legs around and placed her feet in Luffa’s lap.   “You could always give me a foot-rub.  You know, until I conquer Saiya and get the harem set up.”

Luffa shook her head and went to work.  

*******

**NEXT:  The Homecoming**


	79. Chapter 79

_**[6 May 234 Before Age.  Planet Saiya.]** _

Most of Planet Saiya was a desolate place.  Only twenty percent of its surface was covered by ocean, and most of the land was serpentine barrens with strips of vegetation clinging desperately to any and all rivers and lakes.

None of this was any surprise to Luffa, since the Saiyans were a hardy species, capable of thriving in harsh environments where most species would struggle to survive.  And Saiyans tended to see their homes as temporary bases anyway, little more than a place to sleep between battles.  The nice thing about a wasteland was that you didn’t have to maintain it, or protect it from opportunistic raiders.  The Saiyans could fight and train in the wilderness without a care, or even abandon the planet for large scale operations that required the whole population.  The place was a dump, and they could be assured it would still be a dump when they returned.

And yet, the sensor sweep Luffa ran on the planet showed remarkable levels of development.  There were irrigation canals big enough to be visible from orbit, and grids of farmland dotting the land just beyond the coastal regions.  There were small towns, the largest of which were ringed with fairly modern spaceports.  Most impressive of all was a citadel in the middle of a desert.  There were no roads leading to it; since every Saiyan learned to fly in early childhood, there was no need for vehicles.

Accordingly, Luff brought the star yacht down several hundred miles from the citadel.

“Are you expecting an attack?” Zatte asked as they waited for the hatch to open.

“The ship’s landing gear can handle most terrain,” Luffa said.  "And I’m not in the mood to horse around with customs officials in any of the spaceports.“

They stepped outside into the hot dry air and Luffa took in their surroundings.  A lizard scurried by, and she took aim with her finger and killed it with a burst of _ki_ energy.

"Besides,” she said as she walked over to pick up the carcass.  "It’s a nice day.  Might as well fly under my own power.“

Zatte took a step off the ramp and stumbled.  Unable to maintain her balance, she let herself drop, and hit the ground with a thud.

"Careful,” Luffa said.  "The gravity here is stronger than what you’re used to.  Nine or ten times the standard setting on the ship.

Zatte slowly got to her knees, and carefully planted on of her feet on the ground.  "I don’t think…“ she said between grunts of effort, "that I can stand this… for too long.”

Luffa put the dead lizard in her mouth and hauled Zatte up to a standing position.  Once she was satisfied that Zatte was balanced properly, she steadied her with one hand and held the lizard with the other.

“You’ll be okay,” Luffa said as she bit off the animal’s head.  "You’re in no shape to fight like this, but your body’s handling the extra weight just fine.  A year ago, you barely would have been able to move.  You’ve come a long way, Zattie.“

"Maybe so, but I don’t think I’ll be able to go much further like this,” she said.

“I’ll carry you to the citadel,” Luffa said.  "It’s probably got artificial gravity fields to accommodate weaker aliens.“

”‘Probably?’“

There was a wet crunching sound as Luffa chewed the lizard’s remains.  "He’s put a lot of work into this place, like he’s trying to turn it into a modern planetary settlement.  Stands to reason he expects aliens to drop in now and then, so he’d have the same tech to make then comfortable as any other high-G world.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Zatte said.

“I just don’t see the point of setting up a Saiyan planet like this if you’re just going to turn around and invite a bunch of aliens over,” Luffa said.  "Either keep to yourselves or just do your business on a lighter planet.“

"You think all this is a front?” Zatte asked.  "They didn’t even grant us permission to land.  Seems a little too trusting and friendly to me.“

"Or just confident,” Luffa said.  "They’re basically daring their enemies to land here and start trouble.  If a whole planet full of Saiyans couldn’t defend themselves, they’d be too ashamed to ask for passports or ship registrations.“

She stuffed the rest of the lizard’s tail into her mouth and put her arm around Zatte’s waist.  "Enough sightseeing,” she said.  "Let’s move out.“

Zatte nodded, and Luffa took off, flying into the western horizon.

********

* * *

As Luffa predicted, the citadel was equipped with devices to offset the planet’s natural gravity.    However, the citadel was not completely without hazards.

"Afternoon, ladies,” said a large Saiyan man they encountered while walking through the street.  His shadow was broad enough to cover them both.

“Uh, hi,” Zatte said.

“You aren’t from around here,” he said after looking them over.

“I’m here to see Rehval,” Luffa said bruquely.

“ _Courtesans_ , huh?” he said with an ugly, thoughtless smile.  "Well, it just so happens I’m on the welcoming committee.  Let me give you some advice.“

Zatte stepped closer to Luffa and began glancing from side to side.  Luffa locked eyes with the man and smirked at him.  "Anything you can tell me about Rehval,” she said slowly, “would be _very_ helpful.”

Something about her tone startled him for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure.  "Got a lot of spunk in you, huh?   Well that’s great.  Okay, chippie, I’ll tell you everything you need to know.“

"What about your friends?” Luffa said.  "I’d like to hear what they have to say.“

He frowned at this, apparently upset that she had noticed his companions.  He raised his hand, and six more Saiyans appeared on the street.  Two leaped down from tall buildings on either side of the street, one rounded the corner, and three more exited various shops.

"How’d she spot us?” one of them asked.

“A thirsty sand-bison can smell water a hundred miles away,” said another.  "Is that it, girlie?  Are you _thirsty_?“

Luffa looked back at him for a moment, then back to their leader.  "You were going to tell me about Rehval,” she said.

The big man harrumphed and crossed his arms.  "It’s _King_ Rehval, first of all.  You might drive a lot of men wild copping an attitude, but His Majesty won’t tolerate disrespect.“

” _Is that right_?“ Luffa said. She stared into his beady eyes and flashed a predatory smile.  "He likes them meek and submissive, does he?”

“Y-yeah!” the big man said, struggling to maintain his confidence.  "And the clothes are all wrong!  Where’d you even find those baggy yellow pants, anyway?“

The others laughed and jeered.  Luffa shrugged.

"It’s kind of my signature look,” she said.  "You think he won’t like it?“

"Of course not!” cried one of the other Saiyans.  "His Majesty’s banner is blue!  At least your alien friend’s got the right idea.“

"Except her skin’s blue, and her clothes are grey,” another one piped in.

“No problem!” laughed another.  "If she wants to show respect to His Majesty, all she’s gotta do is strip down!“

That got a laugh from all of them.  Luffa wasn’t smiling anymore.

"I really don’t think you should–” Zatte tried to say.

“What’s your story, blue girl?” the big man asked.  "Did your last boyfriend play too rough?  Is that what happened to your eye?  I don’t know if His Majesty will accept damaged goods, but _we_ will.“

"Yeah!” one of the others called.  "If you’re looking for someone gentle, you came to the wrong planet, sweetheart!  King Rehval’s the strongest Saiyan in the world!“

"Not anymore,” Luffa said darkly.  " _I’m_ here now..“

They all laughed.  "You!” the big man scoffed.  "That’s some sense of humor you’ve got there, sister!  I don’t know if King Rehval likes funny women, but _I_ do.  At least, if they’ve got the right figure.“

"You want to try me?” Luffa said.  "Let’s go.  Right here and now.  I’m always in the mood.“

"Yeah!” cheered one of the others.  "Get her!“

"Show her who’s boss!”

“Warm her up for King Rehval!”

The big man smiled at first, but hesitated.  "Uh… I don’t know,“ he said.  "Maybe one of you should work her over a little, give me a chance to see if she’s my type.”

No one accepted his offer.  Luffa smiled and turned her back to him.

“You heard the man,” she said to his cronies.   “He can’t _handle_ me alone.  One of you boys will have to step up.  Maybe all of you?  Well, I’m game.”

She held out her hand and wagged her fingers to beckon them forward.  No one moved.

“Aw, don’t be _shy_ ,” Luffa said. She turned back to face the big man.  "I guess you’re on your own.“

"Now h-hold on,” he stammered.

“Who’s going to teach me how to be meek and submissive?” Luffa asked in a saccharine tone.  "Or maybe _you’d_ like to bed Rehval.  You seem to be his type.“

"I don’t want…”  the big man tried to say.  "I mean, we were just… just kidding around, heh-heh.“

One of the men behind Luffa took a step backward.  Without looking back, Luffa swung her arm out and pointed at him.  The whole group cried out in thiny veiled terror.  ” _Running_ won’t save you,“ she said.  "But feel free to give it a try.  I’ll just hunt you down one at a time.”

“P-please,” the big man said.  "Don’t–!“

"You don’t want any trouble?  _Too bad._   You’re already _in_ a fight, you clod.  I’m just giving you and your goons a free shot.”

She looked around at them all.  "So who’s first?“ she asked.  "If you don’t want to fight back, I understand.    But if you don’t resist, I’ll just _destroy this entire planet_.”

Now Zatte was pleading for restraint.  "Luffa, we _just got here_ ,“ she said.

Luffa snorted.  "Too bad.  I guess Rehval should have chosen a better welcoming committee.”

“ _Enough._ ”

A man floated down from the sky and alighted at the end of the street.  Luffa turned to glance at him, while the other Saiyans gasped with shock.  As he approached, the big man and his friends all lowered themselves to one knee and placed their fists over their hearts in obeisance.

“You _are_ Luffa, I presume?” he said cordially.   “I tracked your flight into the citadel.”

Luffa eyed him skeptically.  "Who wants to know?“ she asked.

"Now you’ve had it,” one of the Saiyans muttered under his breath.  "You might be hot stuff, but the King will teach you some respect, you stuck up tw–“

His head exploded before he could finish speaking.  Rehval had been extending his hand to Luffa, but then aimed it at the Saiyan and shot him with a concentrated burst of _ki_.    The other six men trembled with dread.

"This woman is my guest,” he announced.

“Forgive us, Sire!” the big man whimpered.  "We didn’t know–“

Rehval executed him in the same fashion.  "Am I required to inform the public before conducting state business?” he asked patiently.  "Well, answer me.“

"N-no, Sire!” one of the remaining five cried.

“It would be safer,” he said, “to assume that passers-by are under my protection.”

“Yes, King Rehval!”

He looked at Luffa and softened his expression.  "I apologize for this unpleasant incident,“ he said.

"I don’t need _protection_ from _you_ ,” Luffa said.  "I was about to have some _fun_ with these boys before you came along.“

"Of course,” he said.  "I meant no disrespect, Madam Federatrix.  Normally, I’d spare a few to share the lesson they’ve just learned, but if it satisfies your honor, their lives are yours.“

Luffa looked down at the five of them, then at the two headless corpses.  "They’re not worth my time,” she said.

“You heard her,” Rehval said.  "Go.  And take those bodies with you.“

They hurried to do as he asked, nearly tripping over themselves as they scrambled to collect their dead friends and leave.      Once they were gone, Rehval extended his hand to Luffa again.

"I regret this whole unfortunate episode,” he said.  "I had assumed you would contact the Foreign Minister before entering the city, or the Federation Embassy, or the Expatriate Office–“

” _I go where I please, Rehval_ ,“ Luffa said, pointing a thumb at her chest.  "I accepted your invitation, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to jump through your hoops.”

“The error was mine,” he said graciously.  He looked at Zatte and smiled.  "Perhaps we might start fresh.  I am Rehval.  King of the Planet Saiya.“

"Zatte,” she said carefully.  "I’m Luffa’s wife.“

"Ah, I see,” Rehval said.  "Drang spoke of an aide, but she knew little in the way of details.“

"I try to stay out of the spotlight, Your Majesty,” Zatte replied.  "My species prizes survival over publicity.“

"Interesting,” Rehval said.  "I’ve met a wide variety of alien beings who have married Saiyans.  I’d really like to learn more about yours.“

"We’ll see,” Zatte said.

He looked back at Luffa and finally withdrew his hand.  "I had planned a formal procession for your arrival, Luffa.  If you wish to dispense with the pleasantries, then we might as well adjourn to my palace for dinner.  Is this acceptable?“

Luffa turned her head and spat on the ground.  "Let’s get something straight, Rehval,” she said.  "We’re _not_ friends, and I think your title is a bad joke.  If you think I’m going to start _kneeling_ to you because you lay on a little charm, then you’re dead wrong.“

"Naturally,” he said.  "You are your mother’s daughter, aren’t you?  So defiant, so proud.  Yet, here you stand.  And despite all your bluster, you _haven’t_ destroyed the entire planet, or strangled me with my own viscera, or crowned yourself as queen.  Unless you were saving that for later?“

Luffa continued to glare at him.

"No?  Then, I leave it up to you, Luffa.  We needn’t be friends, but you _did_ accept my invitation, which means you did wish to speak with me.  I may as well be a good host, and you may as well accept my hospitality, right?”

Luffa responded with the slightest of nods.

“Very good,” Rehval said.  "Then if you’ll follow me, ladies…“

He floated into the air and waved for them to join him.  A low growl rumbled from Luffa’s throat as she flew after him, carrying Zatte in her arms.

*******

* * *

Rehval’s palace consisted of the upper floors of the tower at the center of the citadel.  The architecture in the dining hall was typical for the entire facility: sleek and modern, with lots of polished marble and dark stone arranged at right angles.

Zatte finished her meal first, partly because she had the smallest appetite, but mostly because Luffa and Rehval were talking more than eating.  She watched them bicker with fascination.

In spite of what Luffa had said, she wasn’t entirely unfriendly to Rehval.  Zatte had noticed this trait among Saiyans, where they would converse with their foes quite pleasantly, even as they plotted their destruction.  The Saiyans were so accustomed to dealing death that they seemed to take it in stride.  Maybe Luffa and Rehval _weren’t_ friends, but it would have been difficult for an outsider to say for certain.

"An assassin,” Luffa said with her mouth full.  She cracked open a large bone and started digging out the marrow with a fork.  "That’s what this is all about?  Someone’s picking off Saiyans one by one, and you call it a crisis?“

"What would you call it?” Rehval asked.  He scooped a piece of fish into his mouth and busily worked on cutting himself another bite.  Zatte was rather impressed to see a Saiyan with such a command of table manners.

“I call it natural selection,” Luffa grumbled.  "Whoever this killer is, his victims were obviously too weak to defend themselves.  Sooner or later, they would have met the same fate.“

"You think they deserved to die?” Rehval asked pointedly.  "Simply because they lacked the power to save themselves?“

"It’s our way, isn’t it?” Luffa replied.  "Eventually, this assassin will bite off more than they can chew, and that’ll be the end of it.  In the meantime, anyone they manage to kill is no great loss.“

"Would that include you?” Rehval asked.

“I don’t plan on getting killed,” Luffa said.  "But _yeah_.  If I’m dumb enough to let an enemy get the better of me, I deserve whatever happens.  That goes for me, you, any Saiyan.“

Zatte knew Luffa meant it.  There had been a time when she and her family had abandoned their defense of the Dorlu Prime colony, but once Luffa returned and committed herself to protecting it, she fought to the bitter end… and beyond.

This, more than anything, was what fascinated Zatte about Saiyans in general, and Luffa in particular.  Unlike the Dorluns, Luffa completely embraced death as a likely outcome of a great battle, and yet she managed to survive anyway.  Just by watching her, Zatte could tell that Luffa was already thinking about what she would do if this assassin tried to target her.

"I can’t fault your attitude, Luffa,” Rehval said.  "Many other Saiyans have told me they feel the same way.  But you and I have to look at the bigger picture, don’t we?“

” _What_ bigger picture?“ Luffa asked, making no effort to hide her annoyance.

"I mean the galaxy,” he said.  "As the ruler of the Saiyan homeworld, I have an interest in the welfare of all Saiyans, even the ones beyond my domain, who don’t recognize my authority.“

"Your concern is _touching_ ,” Luffa said.  She pointed a butterknife at her chest and added: “It gets me right here.”

He chuckled.  "I suppose you wouldn’t believe me if I said I was worried about you.  Then I’ll put it in terms of self-interest.  Think about how many Saiyans there are in the universe. Less than half are loyal to me, and fewer still actually live on this planet.  The rest of them do as they please, and they don’t answer to anyone.  But _I_ usually end up having to answer for _them_.  A planet gets raided by a man with a furry tail, and they contact me, thinking he was acting on _my_ orders.  It gets irritating after a while.“

"Sounds like a good reason to abdicate,” Luffa said.

“That would only shift the blame to someone else,” Rehval said.  "My successor, or a usurper.“  He leaned in and raised an eyebrow as he stared at Luffa.  "Maybe even _you_ , eh, Madam Federatrix?”

Luffa wasn’t impressed.  "What do I care if I get blamed for a bunch of Saiyans causing trouble?“ she asked.  "Half the galaxy thinks I’m a fairy tale, and the other half thinks I’m a man.”

“You care about your Federation Alliance, don’t you?” Rehval asked.  "Not even three years old, and already a rising galactic power.  The average GDP for each member world has mo more doubled.“    He raised his glass in tribute.  "You should be proud.”

“Hah!  You think any of that matters to me?” Luffa said.

“Right, you only forced the Federation members to work together so they would attract stronger enemies for you to fight,” Rehval said.  "To you, it’s nothing more than a cosmic fishing net, but you still have to maintain it.  If popular opinion turned against you, the Federation might splinter or collapse, wouldn’t it?“

"Who knows?” Luffa asked as she leaned back in her chair.  "And so what if you’re right?  I’d just move on.“

"A mighty hunter roaming the stars,” Rehval said with a smile.  He looked to Zatte and said “I can see why you married her.  She’s quite the romantic.”

Zatte chuckled nervously.  She wasn’t worried for her safety, but it was still difficult to read the situation.  She had convinced Luffa to come here in order to determine Rehval’s intentions, but the man was just as baffling in person as he was at a distance.

He noticed Luffa growing annoyed, so he turned his attention to her.  "You can change locations,“ he said, ” but I suspect your methods would be the same.  If this Federation fails, you’ll simply create a new one, or find some other way to attract worthy prey.  But you’ll still depend on others to help you for that,“ Rehval said.  "You’ve grown so mighty and so great that you can’t live like some ordinary Saiyan wanderer, plundering planets and finding new challenges in every direction.”

Luffa looked up at the high ceiling of the hall.  Painted on the surface was a mural of a Saiyan army engaged in a great battle with some monstrous creature.  Zatte glanced up at it, but could only guess why it held Luffa’s attention.

“Everyone keeps reminding me that I’m not normal,” Luffa said.  "But I wonder if it’s the other way around.“  She looked back at Rehval and smiled in a very unfriendly way.  "Maybe I’m the only _true_ Saiyan, and _you’re_ the freaks.”

“Then what?” Rehval asked, ignoring her slights as always.  "Would you ignore us?  Conquer us?  Destroy us?  Mentor us in your ways?“

Luffa’s smile drooped slightly.  "I haven’t made up my mind,” she said.

“Fair enough, but the problem is the same no matter what you decide. Your fate will still be bound with ours.  Which is just a roundabout way of saying that _our_ problems invariably become _your_ problems.  This assassin concerns us all.”

“You want us to catch this guy, Your Majesty?” Zatte asked.  She noticed Luffa’s eyes would narrow whenever she addressed him this way, but Zatte didn’t think it was wise to antagonize their host.  Whatever his intentions, he had acted in good faith so far.

“I would ask for your help, yes,” Rehval said.  "At least fifty Saiyans have been found dead, all of them poisoned by some unknown toxin.  I think it’s reasonable to assume the killer is using stealth and misdirection to catch their victims off guard.  At the very least, I want to warn as many Saiyans as I can about the problem.  And Luffa can spread that warning to Saiyans who would trust her more than me.“

"What about the victims?” Zatte asked.  "Is there any pattern that might suggest a motive?“

"None,” Rehval said as he sipped his drink.  "I put my best investigators to work on it, and they’ve turned up nothing so far.  The victims are from all walks of life.  Men, women, nonbinary, from a wide range of ages and backgrounds.  Some of them were royalists, others were dissidents like Luffa.“

Zatte considered the problem for a moment.  "What about the locations?” she asked.  "If the killer’s working their way along a particular route–“

"How do we know _you_ aren’t behind this, Rehval?” Luffa asked.

“I beg your pardon?” he said.

“Those soldiers you sent after us two years ago,” she said.  "Or had you forgotten?“

"Soldiers?” Rehval asked.

Luffa rose from her seat and planted her hands on the table, rising so quickly that she knocked over her chair.  "Don’t play dumb with us, Rehval.  You didn’t even try to cover your tracks that day.  Ten Saiyan soldiers in royal blue uniforms, tracking us in a light cruiser like the ones used by the Saiyan Royal Navy?“

A worried look came over his face.  "Oh no,” he said in a low voice.

“Do you remember now?”  Luffa seethed.  "I killed them _all_ , Rehval.  They never stood a chance.  I might have spared them just so they could tell you how badly it went, but I wasn’t quite _myself_ that day.“

"And you think _I_ authorized that mission,” Rehval said.  "And this whole time I’ve been… Oh, I apologize.  I should have explained from the _beginning_ –“

"Of _course_ you authorized the mission!” Luffa shouted.  She grabbed the edge of the table and tossed it across the hall like an empty package.  "Don’t try to pretend that this was some bureaucratic mix-up.  My mother told me all about how you used to run this dump when she lived here!  The way you suppressed dissent, forced everyone to live and train the way _you_ wanted.“

"Luffa, please let me–” Rehval tried to say, but she was too upset to listen.

“Nobody can scratch their tail on this planet without you knowing about it.  I’m betting you sent that 'welcoming committee’ to meet us, too, just to try and throw us off.    So don’t tell me you didn’t authorize that mission, Rehval.  Seems to me you like assassins just fine when they’re doing _your_ dirty work.”

He took a deep breath and sighed.  "You believe I was behind that, and the arrangement with Kandai as well…“

"That’s a real cute word for it, Rehval,” Luffa snarled.  "'Arrangement.’  Hah!  I guess you don’t remember that one either!“

"I am well aware,” Rehval said sadly.

“Then let me _show_ you the 'arrangement’,” she said.  She tugged down the waistline of her yellow pants and raised the hem of her black sleeveless shirt, just enough to reveal a long thin scar on the right side of her lower abdomen.  Rehval winced at the sight of it, but did not look away.

“You _arranged_ for Kandai to _arrange_ for the Tikosi to cut me open like a carcass!” Luffa said.    Her hands began to tremble, and she tightened her grip on her clothing to steady them.  "Then they _arranged_ my son right out of my damned _body_.“

Zatte stood up, and began to approach her, reaching out with her hands, but Luffa shook her head, and so she kept her distance.  Rehval remained in his chair.  Servants entered the room, attracted by the noise of Luffa’s tantrum, but he dismissed them with a wave of his hand.

"And you have the _gall_ ,” Luffa said, “to 'invite’ me to your planet, to ask for _my help_ , as if _none of this_ ever happened.  You’re so _concerned_ about the _welfare_ of _all_ the Saiyans!  Well where were you _then_?!  Where was the mighty King of Saiya when _I_ needed him?”

For a moment, the hall was silent, save for Luffa’s heavy breathing.  Zatte recalled that, before they came here, Luffa had confessed to feeling guilty for putting the loss of her son behind her.  Now, as she accused the king for his role in the crime, the old emotional wounds seemed to have been reopened, and Zatte wondered if they had ever truly healed at all.

At last Rehval rose from his chair, his face ashen with dread.  "To answer that, I have to show you something first,“ he said.  "Will you let me do this?”

*******

* * *

In the lower levels of the citadel was a strange laboratory.  It had been abandoned for some time.    The black benchtops and glassware were covered with a thin layer of dust.  Notebooks and equipment still lay where they had last been used, as if their owner had planned to resume his work after a brief absence.  On the wall was a diagram of various arcane symbols, with additional marking scrawled around it by hand.

This was my father’s inner sanctum,“ Rehval explained as he led the women into the room.    "I’ve never shown this to anyone before.  My subjects believe he was a righteous king.  They don’t realize what he did to maintain his power…”

“Alchemy,” Luffa said as she looked at the symbols on the wall.  "This is an alchemical laboratory, like the academy on Gwarthos.  What does this have to do with anything?“

"Luffa, what I’m about to tell you may be difficult to hear, and perhaps harder to believe,” Rehval said.  "But I urge you to hear me out.“

Luffa was losing patience, but Zatte took her hand in her own and whispered in her ear.  "We came here for answers, Luffa.  Let’s see what he has to say.”

She nodded and crossed her arms over her chest.  Rehval cleared his throat and began.  "First, I must ask for clarification,“ he said.  "You had mentioned to me earlier that your mother told you about what it was like to lived under _my_ reign.  She witnessed _my_ suppression of dissidents.  Is that correct?”

“She used to live on this planet,” Luffa muttered.  "She left before I was born.“

"Yes, I know,” Rehval said.  "I checked the census records before you arrived.  I wanted to know more about you, you understand.  Your mother left Planet Saiya thirty years ago.“

"That sounds about right,” Luffa said.  "So what?“

He pointed at himself.  "Just this: I was _not_ the king of Saiya thirty years ago.  She was speaking of my father, who was _also_ named Rehval.”

Luffa blinked.  "Are you trying to tell me–?“

"I only ascended to the throne last year,” he said.  "Your grievance is with King Rehval the Second.  I am King Rehval the Third.“

**NEXT: Sins of the Father**


	80. Chapter 80

_**[6 May 234 Before Age.  Planet Saiya.]** _

“You really expect me to believe that?!”  Luffa shouted.

They were standing in an abandoned laboratory hidden in the lower levels of Planet Saiya’s capital city.  Luffa and Zatte had come to this planet at the invitation of King Rehval, believing that he was an old enemy of Luffa’s mother, and an accessory in the forced termination of Luffa’s unborn child.

Instead, Rehval now claimed that these were the actions of his father, the _previous_ king, also named Rehval.  It was such a brazen denial that it could only be a pathetic, desperate lie… or a simple, extraordinary truth.

“Are you telling us this has all been a case of mistaken identity?” Zatte asked.  "You don’t look old enough to have ruled Planet Saiya thirty years ago, but…“

"The Saiyan people age very differently from what most species would consider normal, Ms. Zatte,” Rehval explained.  "We remain in our prime for most of our lives, so a septuagenarian looks almost exactly like a young adult.“

Zatte looked at Luffa, as though considering the implications of this.

"The Rehval Dynasty began with my grandfather,” he went on.  "It was Rehval The First who settled this planet and named it Saiya, after the mythical world where the Saiyans first evolved.    When he died, my father, Rehval the Second assumed the throne.  He reigned for over half a century, before I was forced to put a stop to him.“

” _You_ killed him?“  Luffa asked.

"Are you so surprised, Luffa?” Rehval asked.   “Your mother taught you that he was a tyrant.  Your father was plotting against him as well.  My father made many enemies in his lifetime.  I was simply the _last_ , and the one in the best position to act against him.”

He pulled a wooden stool out from under a recess in one of the lab benches, and sat down.

“As the crown prince, I looked up to my father.  He was devoted to forging the Saiyan people into a great and powerful nation, as opposed to a disparate tribe of marauders.  But in the final years of his reign, I began to learn just how far he was willing to go to achieve his goals.”

He waved his hand at the arcane symbols scrawled on the wall.  "This laboratory was just the tip of the iceberg.  He conducted all sorts of secret alchemical research, but he also dabbled in genetic engineering, witchcraft, necromancy, and a number of other un-Saiyan practices.  His dream was to discover a way to unlock the ultimate potential of the Saiyan race.  About a year ago, I learned he was using live Saiyans in his experiments.  I had no choice but to kill him, though I told the public that he had died of an illness.  I couldn’t risk jeopardizing my grandfather’s accomplishments by exposing my father’s crimes.“

He pointed to an urn on a shelf of chemicals.  "That, ladies, is all that remains of Rehval II’s body.  "Unfortunately, his legacy, casts a much longer shadow.  Once I consolidated power, I studied my father’s records, and learned of his experiments with Saiyan fetal tissue.  And that was when I learned of his role in _your_ ordeal, Luffa.”

“How did _he_ find out about it?” Luffa asked.

“Through your husband Kandai,” Rehval said. “I never knew the full story, but from what I gather, your father was trying to find a way to increase his own strength.  Somewhere along the way, he succeeded.  Instead of hiring himself out for obscure mercenary work, he was carrying out bold raids on the frontiers of the Camelian Empire.  As I told you before, whenever a Saiyan causes trouble, word reaches Planet Saiya very quickly.  The Camelians complained to our ambassador there, and an investigation revealed it was Orij, an old malcontent who had married your mother, an anti-royalist.

"My father promised the Camelians that he would deal with Orij, but privately, he wished to learn the secret to his sudden power increase.  He eventually made contact with Kandai, and plied him for information.  Kandai was eager to make a fresh start, and it wasn’t difficult to loosen his tongue.  He told my father about the Tikosi, and their technique for isolating the biological factors that made one Saiyan stronger than another.  He told him that the Tikosi were making you stronger, and then duplicating that power increase in Orij.  I assumed the Tikosi’s eventual goal was to apply the same treatment for themselves.

"This piqued my father’s interest.  He planned to eliminate Orij to placate the Camelians, then conquer the Tikosi and claim their research for himself.  But first he wanted to see what he could accomplish with his own alchemical techniques, so he struck a bargain with Kandai.  In exchange for certain rewards, your husband returned to the Tikosi Planet and obtained… well, he took your unborn child.  Then he brought the fetus back to Saiya for my father to test.

"And what did _that_ accomplish?”  Luffa asked bitterly.  "Other than ending a Saiyan boy’s battle before he had a chance to fight?“

"In the end, very little,” Rehval said quietly.  "My father’s notes were very unclear on the matter, but from what I could make out, he didn’t make much progress after receiving the tissue.  He wrote that he intended to crush Orij and invade the Tikosi planet, but he never got the chance.  A scouting party found the planet abandoned, and Orij’s remains lying near a large crater.  Soon after, reports of a Super Saiyan on Bigreen began to circulate, and it didn’t take long to piece together what had happened.“

"Is that why your father sent that team of assassins after us?” Zatte asked.  "Did he think Luffa would come looking for revenge?“

"It was a test,” Rehval said.  "You have to understand, Luffa, that there are a lot of conflicting reports about just who and what you are.  Most Saiyans believe you’re a fraud.  A number of early Super Saiyan sightings turned out to be Orij’s activities on the Camelian frontier.  People believe you’re man, a woman, a ghost, a goddess, a Saiyan, a mutant, and any number of other things.  My father wanted to make certain that you really were Orij’s daughter–that you had survived the Tikosi and that you really were as strong as the rumors said.  The team of soldiers was sent to either kill you or take your measure.“

"Well I hope he was pleased with the result,” Luffa said.  "He should have just approached me himself, or did that little demonstration make him lose his nerve?“

"He was obsessed with you after that,” Rehval said.  "He sent ten of his strongest warriors, and _none of them_ survived.  He knew you were strong, but after that incident he realized that you were _unstoppable_.  And then the Shockmaster invaded the Federation, and he proved to be at least as powerful.  My father was withdrew to his research, determined to find some way to match your level of power.  When you defeated the Shockmaster, he became even more worried, since there was no longer a power in the galaxy that could counterbalance your own.

“While he was plotting against you in secret, the work of running the kingdom was delegated to the crown prince: me.  One day I needed to consult with him on a matter of state business, and I found him down here, lost in some demonic ritual.  He was a shadow of his former self– half-starved, sleep deprived,driven mad by his obsession.  When I realized what he had done and what he planned to do, I knew I had no choice but to kill him and take his place.”

“Then you invited Luffa to come here in order to make peace,” Zatte concluded.

“In my arrogance, I believed you were aware of my accession to the throne,” Rehval said.  "You never threatened Saiya or its interests, but neither did you make any overtures toward us.  After a year, I decided it was time to clear the air, and this string of Saiyan murders seemed like a sensible topic for us to discuss.

“Luffa, I sincerely apologize, both for my father’s actions, and for my flippant tone at dinner.  If I had known that you thought I was Rehval II, I would have approached our meeting very differently.”

“Would you, now?” Luffa grumbled.  "I guess you would have told me the same story you’re telling me now, only from a safe distance, right?“

She walked to the shelf containing the urn of Rehval II’s remains, and ran her finger along the shelf, the  looked at the dust that had accumulated on her fingertip.

"It’s all very convenient, Rehval.  I suppose you can prove all of this.  You don’t seem like the type to leave any loose ends.”

“My father’s death was certified by his physician,” Rehval said. “He’s a Grujon running a practice on Eldon IV, with no ties to the regime.  As for the rest, my father kept extensive records on his dealings, many of them in his own handwriting.  You’re welcome to examine them to your satisfaction.”

“Very thoughtful of you,” Luffa said.

“I don’t blame you for being suspicious, Luffa,” Rehval said.  "I understand if we cannot be friends, but I have no desire to be your enemy.  I’m willing to do whatever it takes to assure you of that.“

Luffa turned and glared at him.  "I’m glad you said that, Rehval, because there _is_ a way you can convince me,” she said.

“Name it,” Rehval said.  "The royal archives are at your disposal.“

” _Records_ can be falsified,“ Luffa said as she walked towards him.  "And even _if_ they’re legitimate, that would only prove that your father’s crimes.    They wouldn’t tell me whether or not _you_ were involved.”

“I see…” Rehval said.  "Then what do you have in mind?“

"The question is: What do _you_ have in _your_ mind, Rehval?” Luffa said darkly.  She raised her hand and extended it towards him.  "I want to know _what_ you knew and _when_ you knew it.  Your story might be _mostly_ true, but I wonder if you might be leaving out a few things that might make me… _angry_ with you.“

He remained seated, but pulled back slightly as she reached for his face.  "I can read your mind, Rehval.  It won’t take long, but if you’ve been lying to me, I _will_ find out.”

“Proceed then.  I have nothing to hide,” he said confidently.

Luffa had already planted both hands on his face.  "This will only hurt if you resist me,“ she warned.

"I underst–” he began to say, but Luffa had already begun, and he gasped with amazement at the experience.

One minute and thirteen seconds later, Luffa released him.  She stepped back, and breathed deeply, as if relieved to be finished.

“Are you okay?” Zatte asked.  "I’ve never seen you spend that much time on anyone before.  Well, except for me, when you and I–“

"I’m _fine_ ,” Luffa said, mostly to cut off the rest of her statement.

“A remarkable experience,” Rehval said.  He looked around the room, as though pleased to be back in the real world.  "I had no idea Saiyan telepathy could advance to such levels.“

"Well, what did you find out?” Zatte asked impatiently.

Luffa looked at her and then back at Rehval.  "I took my time because I needed to be _sure_ , she said.  "But I couldn’t find any hint of deception.  At least, not about Kandai or his father.  He’s… he’s telling the truth.“

Rehval nodded in agreement.

******

* * *

Rehval had offered them a room in his palace, but Luffa had declined, preferring to head back to her ship for the night.

"So now what?” Zatte said as she curled up next to Luffa on her bed.

“I don’t know,” Luffa said.  She lay on her back and stared at the ceiling of the cabin, a sheet half-heartedly draped over herself.

“You said it yourself,” Zatte said.  "If he’s telling the truth, he’s not our enemy.“

"I still don’t _like_ the guy, Zattie,” Luffa said.  "Even if he’s on the level, I don’t like the idea of a Saiyan King.  I never have.“

"He seems to respect that,” Zatte said.  "He invited us to stay a while.“

"There’s nothing here for me,” Luffa said.  "And I’m not about to start dressing in blue and kneeling to that pompous…!“

"We don’t have to live here forever, Luffa,” Zatte said.  "We can leave right now if that’s what you want.  But where do we go?  The Federation practically runs itself, and no one like the Shockmaster is likely to threaten it anytime soon.“

"I know…” Luffa said.  "That’s why I’m so disappointed.  I was hoping Rehval would give me some sport.  Beg for mercy… try some last-ditch plan to kill me.  I don’t know, _something_.“

"You wanted another Kandai,” Zatte said.  "Someone you could hunt down and pour all your frustrations into.“

"Not that _he_ really satisfied me either,” Luffa said.  "It’s just as well.  If Rehval’s daddy _were_ still alive, I would have just killed him by now, and then  I’d be right back where I started.“

"It’s like you said before,” Zatte said.  "Settling things with Rehval was the last connection you had with your son.  Everyone who took him from you is gone now.  There’s no one left to chase, or even think about chasing.“

"So…” Luffa said.  "Now what?“

"I asked you first, buster,” Zatte said.

Luffa sighed.  "Maybe we could go to Yetitan, pay a visit to Wampaaan'riix and Dewbie.  Might even invite Dr. Topsas along if he’s free.“

"What brought this on?”  Zatte asked.

“I was just thinking about my mother,” Luffa said.  "Aside from you, those guys are the closest thing to family I have left.“

Zatte put her arm over Luffa and squeezed her gently.  "Don’t be so sure about that…” she said.

*******

* * *

_**[7 May 234 Before Age.  Planet Saiya]** _

Far removed from the citadel which served as the planet’s capital was a small village of crudely shaped houses.  There were a number of modern conveniences–paved roads, food storage devices, and a water tower–but otherwise the settlement appeared to be a throwback to some primitive age.    In one of these houses, a Saiyan  woman named Arracash heard a knock at her door.

She immediately readied herself for a fight.  The King had alerted everyone about a mysterious Saiyan-hunting killer, so naturally she had this possibility in mind, but she had lived on this planet of bloodthirsty warriors for most of her life, and she hadn’t lasted this long without being prepared.  She moved along the wall, careful not to avoid being spotted from the view offered by the windows, and paused in front of the door.  She silently counted to five, then swung the door open, making sure to keep her body out of the doorway.

Nothing happened.  Arracash took a quick look, and found two women, a Saiyan and an alien with blue skin and red hair.

“We’re looking for… for Arracash?” the alien said.  She seemed distracted for some reason.

“You found her,” she said.  "What’s this about?  And don’t tell me it’s _King’s official business_.  Not while you’re wearing _that_ getup.“

She was pointing at Luffa’s bright yellow pants as if they were on fire.  "You want food, go catch some game in the mountains.   Lousy vagrants.  Everyone acts like I’m the village cook.”

“Records at the palace said you had a son named Orij,” the Saiyan said.  "That right?“

"So _what_?” Arracash said.  "He’s old enough to fight his own battles isn’t he?  I’m not responsible for _his_ blunders.“

"Luffa, this _can’t_ be Arracash,” Zatte said.  "She’s supposed to be in her mid seventies–“

"Luffa?” Arracash asked.  "Then this _is_ some kind of shakedown!  You think you can pretend to be some impostor freak and I’ll cower under the bed while you help yourselves to my loot?!  Who the hell do you think you are?“

She tried to shut the door, only for Luffa to catch it with her hand and hold it open. 

"I _think_ I’m your granddaughter,” Luffa said.

**NEXT: The Foxy Factor**


	81. Chapter 81

_**[7 May 234 Before Age.   Planet Saiya.]** _

Zatte sat on a chair that was basically a boulder that had been hewn into the vague shape of a chair.  She suspected that this was a typical example of Saiyan craftsmanship.  Even the weakest Saiyans had incredible strength, enough to chisel stone with their bare hands, albeit without much regard to aesthetics.  The rest of the furniture in Arracash’s home looked the same, aside from some appliances and tools she had clearly obtained from alien manufacturers.

Arracash herself was pacing around in a tight circle in the middle of her living room.  Luffa stood by the wall and watched her.  It was eerie how similar the two of them looked.  Arracash was the same height and build, with the same short shocks of black hair on her scalp.  The only real differences between them were a few slivers of grey in Arracash’s hair, and their skin color.  Luffa was a dark beige, while Arracash had a pale pink complexion.

Of course, their clothes were also different.  Luffa wore her customary black sleeveless shirt and baggy yellow pants.  Arracash was dressed much more provocatively, wearing what could almost be described as an armored bathing suit with high-heeled, over-the-knee boots.  The fabric of all of these items was lavender, and the armor plating on her chest and torso was dull grey.

“Let me get this straight,” Arracash said.  "I’m your _grandmother_.“

"Apparently,” Luffa said.

“Orij had a brat of his own, huh?” Arracash said, mostly to herself.

“That’s me,” Luffa said.

“What’s my son been up to these days?”

“He’s dead,” Luffa said.

“ _Good_.  How did he die?”

“I killed him,” Luffa said.

“Betting he deserved it,” Arracash said.

“Absolutely,” Luffa said.

“And _you’re_ this ‘Super Saiyan’ everyone’s been pissing and moaning about.”

“That’s right,” Luffa said.

“Then you’re _not_ an alien with glowing yellow hair,” Arracash said.  "You’re at least _half_ -Saiyan if you’re really Orij’s brat.“

"Full-blooded, for _your_ information,” Luffa said testily.

“Okay, okay,” Arracash said.  "Didn’t mean to imply anything.  I’m sure your mother’s a fine warrior.“

"She’s dead too,” Luffa said.  "Orij killed her.“

"Right,” Arracash said.  "Any brothers or sisters I should know about?“

"No.”

Arracash pointed to Zatte.  "Who’s she?“

"My wife.”

“You’re gay?”

“I’m bisexual.”

Arracash suddenly looked at Zatte, which startled her.

“Blue skin, red hair, green eyes… Where’s _she_ from?” Arracash asked.

“I can’t tell you,” Luffa said.

“Is she checking me out?” Arracash.

Luffa shrugged.  "Why shouldn’t she?  You’re an attractive lady for your age.“

Zatte spoke up, mostly to change the subject.  "Look, I’ll just come out and say it. You two look _exactly_ alike.”

“Yeah, so?” Arracash said.

“A lot of Saiyans resemble one another,” Luffa said.  "Even Saiyans that aren’t related.“

"There’s another one in the next town,” Arracash said, waving her arm towards the northeast.  "Looks just like us.  Runs a general store.  She’s kind of a jerk.“

"There you go,” Luffa said.

“But… but the records we found said Arracash is _seventy-five years old_!” Zatte protested.

“Yeah,” Luffa said.  "Saiyans stay in their prime for a _long_ time, Zatte.  She probably won’t really start to age until she hits eighty or so.“

"Lucky you,” Arracash said to Zatte.  She gestured to herself and added: “Like looking into the future, huh?”

Zatte swallowed hard.

“You couldn’t find a Saiyan to marry?” Arracash asked Luffa.

“I did, but he’s dead, too.”  Luffa pointed at Zatte.  "She killed him.“

Arracash looked genuinely impressed.  "Then what brings you two here?”

Luffa rolled her eyes.  "It’s my first time on Planet Saiya, and _she_ thought I should look up any relatives I had here.  You were the only one we could find.“

"Hmmph!  Well isn’t that _cute?_  Am I supposed to tear up and hug you two now?”

“Hah!” Luffa scoffed.  "Don’t worry about me, old timer.  I just thought I’d take a look at you before you keeled over.“

"Well, I suppose I might as well let you two spend the night here,” Arracash grumbled.  "At least with you being married, I only need to set up one bed.“

She looked back at Zatte.  "You _do_ use beds, don’t you?  You don’t hang from the ceiling by your toenails or anything weird like that?”

“N-no,” Zatte said.  "Really, it isn’t necessary, ma'am.  We’re staying on our ship, so–“

Arracash turned her head and spat on the floor.  "Hell no.  You’ll stay here.  Least I can do to thank you for killing my son for me.”  She looked at Luffa.  "Unless this place isn’t _fancy_ enough for a _Super_ Saiyan and her _delicate_ alien friend.“

"It’ll do,” Luffa said.  "Unless you expect _us_ to cook dinner.  If that’s the case, we might as well sleep on the street!“

"What do you take me for?” Arracash muttered.  "Of course I’ll cook.  But you’re _damned fools_ if you think I’m peeling vegetables for three people all by myself!“

"Quit whining!” Luffa said. “We’ll help you, if it’s so blasted important.”

Arracash made a loud _harrumph_ and  headed for the other room to prepare a bed, and Zatte leaped out of the chair to rush to Luffa’s side.  Only she still wasn’t used to the higher gravity of Planet Saiya, and so she nearly ran into her.  Luffa had to catch her before she fell down.

“Let’s get _out of here_ ,” Zatte whispered.

“This was _your_ idea, remember?” Luffa said.  "What’s wrong?“

"Isn’t it obvious?  I think she hates me,” Zatte said.

“She doesn’t _hate_ you,” Luffa said.  "Probably.  I think you just give her the creeps.“

” _I_ creep _her_ out?“ Zatte hissed.  "She looks like a copy of you, and she hasn’t aged in over fifty years!”

“Well how do Dorluns age?” Luffa asked.

“Our hair turns pink and… Oh, what difference does it make?”

Neither of them noticed Arracash returning to the living room.

“Are you two _doing it_?!” she shouted.

“No!” Luffa shouted back.

Arracash averted her eyes.  "At least wait until I’ve put linens on the bed!  You can play you alien love games there!“

"She tripped and I caught her!” Luffa insisted.  "We’re not even undressed!“

"Tell her not to get her spores on my good rug!” Arracash cried.  "The linens are fine!  I can burn those.  But the rug’s a keepsake!“

” _Spores_?“ Zatte asked.

"Spores, pollen, whatever it is you use,” Arracash said.

Luffa was about to speak up, when a shrill chime sounded from her pants.  She reached into her pocket and took out her portable communicator, which was tied into the subspace radio on her ship.

“It’s from Rehval,” she said as she read a transcript of his message.  "Wants me back at the palace.“

"Fine,” Zatte said.  "Let’s go.“

” _King_ Rehval?“ Arracash gasped.  "What have you done?”

“I broke his dinner table and read his mind,” Luffa said absently.

“I knew it!” Arracash said.  "You’re as rotten as Orij!  Vandalizing His Majesty’s palace, cavorting around with alien women, shaking down your own grandmother for free food!“

"Let’s _gooooo_ ,” Zatte pleaded under her breath.

Luffa adjusted her grip on Zatte to carry her for the flight back to the palace. Then she paused, and her lips curled into a mischievous smile.

“Nah, I think you should stay here,” Luffa said.

“What?” Zatte asked.

“Rehval only called for me,” Luffa said.  "You should stay put and keep Arracash company.“

"But–!”

“You can help her fix dinner,” Luffa said, “and it’ll be good training for you to spend some time working under the higher gravity.”

“But I–!  You–!”

Luffa released her gently and turned to leave.  "This shouldn’t take long.  Try not to fall for her while I’m gone.  I know she’s your type, but try to be strong for our marriage.“

Zatte wanted to grab Luffa’s tail and pull her back, but she was out the door and airborne before she could move.  Then she looked at Arracash, who was tapping her toe on the floor impatiently.

"Your kind _does_ know how to work a peeler, right?” Arracash demanded.  "I mean, you aren’t a _savage_ , I hope.“

Zatte sighed and resigned herself to her fate.

*******

* * *

There was an expansive balcony on one of the upper levels of the citadel.  Luffa found Rehval there, along with a small gathering of visiting dignitaries and aides.  Rehval’s Saiyan entourage tensed up when they saw her, but she ignored them completely, and walked towards Rehval, fully prepared to shove aside anyone who got in her way.

"Let her pass,” Rehval said, instantly defusing the situation.  "I summoned her.“

The guards stepped aside, and gave Rehval some room to speak with his guest.  As Luffa approached him, he started walking as well, and fell alongside her.

"Thank you for coming so quickly, Luffa,” he said.

“I’m not your lapdog, Rehval,” Luffa said.  "Let’s get that clear right up front.  The next time you ‘summon’ me, I might not show up at _all_.“

"I understand perfectly,” Rehval said.  "You’re a guest on Planet Saiya, free to do as you please.    I hope I didn’t interrupt anything.“

"Nothing worth discussing,” Luffa said.  "Your message said it was about that Saiyan-killer you told me about before.“

"I’m afraid so,” he said in a low voice.  He had already led her away from the others and they had nearly left the balcony altogether, but he still seemed concerned about being overheard.  "He’s claimed a new victim.“

"What planet was it this time?” Luffa asked.

Rehval sighed and shook his head.  "It would be better if I showed you.  Besides, I’d rather discuss this somewhere more private.“

"What’s the matter, Rehval?” Luffa asked.  "Worried about what your subjects might think of you putting up with my sass?“

He smiled in spite of his grave mood.  "I wish that were all,” he said.  "I _like_ your sass, Luffa.  It’s comforting in a way.“

"Oh yeah?” Luffa asked.

“It gets lonely at the top,” he admitted.  They reached an elevator and he pressed the button to summon the car.  "Even other kings and heads of state make poor company, since I’m so much stronger than them physically.  It’s refreshing to meet someone who feels completely free to speak her mind around me.“

"We could just fly down,” Luffa said.  Just as she was growing impatient, the door opened and he gestured to the empty car.

“We could,” he said.  "And we could smash through the walls between ourselves and where we’re going.    But I enjoy elevators, and you don’t know where we’re going, so for once I have the advantage of you.“

"I could always read your mind again,” Luffa said as she stepped inside the car.

“Ah.  I already forgot you can do that,” Rehval said.  He clicked his tongue as he entered the car and pressed the button for their floor.  "Well, thank you for letting me at least _pretend_ to have a momentary advantage.“

Luffa snorted in amusement.

"Is it ever like that for you?” he asked.

“Like what?” Luffa asked.

“Lonely,” he said.  "As powerful as you are, I’d think it’d be worse for you than it is for me.“

"I manage,” Luffa said.  "My wife thinks I’m some kind of holy crusader, but she still makes me pick up after myself.  My friends are all so much weaker than I am that they probably don’t see me any differently from a normal Saiyan.  If I was going to hurt them, I would have already done it.“

"Hmmm, but you can’t really _fight_ with any of them, can you?”

“Zatte and I spar,” Luffa said.  "But yeah, it’s not exactly satisfying.“

"There was the Shockmaster, but he’s gone now,” Rehval said.  "A shame Chanisp is long dead.  Maybe _he_ could have given you a good fight.“

"I like to think so,” Luffa said.  "He was a Super Saiyan, too.“

"Really?” Rehval said.

“I’m pretty sure Old Darbock was, too.”

“It sounds tragic,” Rehval said.  "A thousand years from now, there may be another Super Saiyan, longing for someone like you to challenge them.“

"That guy’ll just have to make due,” Luffa said.  "Same as me.“

"Well, I’m no Chanisp,” Rehval said, "but I was hoping you and I might go a round.“

"You?” Luffa asked.

“I probably wouldn’t be any more of a challenge than your wife, but I _was_ the strongest Saiyan on this planet,” he said, “until you showed up.”

Luffa considered it briefly.  "You’re on,“ she said.  "Just make sure you don’t hold back.  It’ll be more fun if you’re fighting like you want to kill me.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he said.

“So why do you like elevators so much?” Luffa asked.

He opened his mouth to answer, but then the car abruptly slowed its descent and came to a stop.  There was a pleasant _ding_ as the doors slid open, and Rehval held out his hand to invite her to go first.

“I’ll tell you later,” he said.

The floor they had arrived on was set aside for office space.  Luffa had begun to question the stories her mother had told her of life on Planet Saiya, but at least some of it was true after all.  The Saiyan Kingdom relied on a bureaucracy as much any other, and without any suitable clerical staff among their own people, the regime had brought in aliens to handle all the paperwork.  None of them were actually present in the hallways or cubicles at the moment, but Luffa could see photographs of various staffers on organization charts, and these depicted at least half a dozen alien species.

“Where is everybody?” Luffa asked.

“I ordered this floor to be sealed off,” Rehval said.  "At least until the investigation could be completed.“

"What investigation?” Luffa asked.  "What does any of this have to do with that Saiyan-hunter anyw–?“

While she was speaking, Rehval had led her into an office containing a dead body.  She recognized the corpse as Gnurlian, although his skin was unusually green for their complexion.  He was slumped over his desk, as if he had simply died while he was working.

"The latest victim was _here_ ,” Rehval said.  "On Planet Saiya.“

Luffa approached the body carefully and took a closer look.  "How do you know this isn’t a completely unrelated murder?” she asked.  "For that matter, how can you be sure he _was_ murdered?  I don’t see any sign of injuries.“

"A sensor scan detected an unknown toxin in his bloodstream,” Rehval said.  "It matches similar scans of the other victims.  As for _how_ it was administered, I can’t say.“

"Blast it, Rehval!” Luffa growled.  "What do you expect _me_ to do about this?“

"I need your help to find the killer,” Rehval said.  "He’s here, on Saiya.  If the people find out, it could cause a panic.“

"Do I look like a detective?”  Luffa shouted.  "You seem to be a lot further along on this than I am.  Bring in a professional investigator and have him figure this out.“

"I already hired a detective,” Rehval said.

“Well, where the hell is _he_?”  Luffa demanded.

“You’re looking at him,” Rehval said, pointing at the body.  "Twenty years of experience with homicides, specializing in mass murders and serial killers.  Highly recommended.  Apparently our enemy felt he was too much of a threat, so he eliminated him.“

"He’s… _toying_ with us,” Luffa said.  She balled up her fist and raised it in front of her chest.  "He thinks we’re helpless without this guy.“

"I don’t dare send for any other detectives,” Rehval said.  "They’ll just be picked off as soon as they arrive.“

"Fine, I get it,” Luffa said.  "But I still don’t see how I can help catch this guy.  If he made it into this room without anyone noticing–!“

"I know you can do it, Luffa,” Rehval said.

“Hah!  And why’s that?  Oh, I can beat this creep to a pulp whenever we _do_ find him, but none of my powers will help with that.  What makes you think I’m cut out for a job like this?”

“Because I grew up with the stories of Chanisp just as you did,” he said  "He was strong, yes, but he also _never_ gave up, and that was what made him _great_.  That’s what I need now.“

She was taken aback by his words, and then he impulsively took her hands in his own.

"If you’re truly the heir to Chanisp’s power, then this killer doesn’t stand a chance against you, Luffa.  I’m _sure_ of it.”

“You… you think so?” Luffa said.  She looked back at the dead Gnurlian and pressed her lips together with newfound resolve.  "All right,“ she said.  "Where do we start?”

*******

* * *

“What’s the matter with you?!” Arracash yelled.  

“What is it now?” Zatte asked.  

“You’re peeling them all wrong!”

Zatte sighed.  The last half hour had been reasonably peaceful, once Arracash stopped barking orders and allowed Zatte to settle down and concentrate on peeling vegetables by herself.  She hadn’t counted on Arracash checking her work.  

Arracash reached for a pile of peelings Zatte had left on the kitchen counter.  She held one up and pointed at the thin layer of flesh on the interior surface.   “Look at all this!” she screeched.  “This is perfectly good food, and you’re _wasting it_.   Who taught you how to peel, anyway?”

“Why  are we peeling these anyway?” Zatte demanded.  “The best nutrients are in the skins.   If you’re so worried about waste, you shouldn’t be throwing any of that away in the first place!”

“Um, it’s a little thing called _compost_ ,” Arracash growled.  “I suppose you wouldn’t know about that from your years gallivanting around in a space yacht!”

Arracash launched into an extensive lecture on the importance of fertilizer, but Zatte found she couldn’t pay attention, even if she had wanted to.  There were just too many things going wrong here all at once.  

First and foremost, she still wasn’t used to the idea of Luffa’s grandmother being so damned sexy.  If she looked a little more like an elderly person, she would have found the heeled boots and armored leotard endearing, maybe even reassuring in a way.   If she wasn’t Luffa’s grandmother, it wouldn’t be an issue.    As it was, Zatte felt guilty and awkward just looking at her.  But if she looked away, Arracash thought she was ignoring her, so that wasn’t a solution.  

Beyond this, the whole visit served to remind Zatte just how alien the Saiyans truly were.   Luffa was an outsider to her own people, but nothing about this planet seemed to surprise her.   Luffa resented Saiya, but more in the way a person might resent their hometown.   For Zatte, it was a bizarre madhouse.  It never seemed to occur to Arracash that Zatte wasn’t used to the gravity, and this was probably interfering with her ability to handle the peeler.  

She had never really thought about growing old with Luffa, perhaps because on some level she expected them to die in some horrible battle.  The Tikosi had nearly killed them years ago, so in a sense it was like everything they had done since then was on borrowed time.  Luffa probably hadn’t considered growing old with Zatte, because apparently Saiyans _didn’t_ _grow old_ , at least not for a very long time.  The whole idea suddenly loomed large in Zatte’s mind.   Even now, they spent half their marriage arguing over pointless little things.   What if Zatte’s aging tipped the scales?   Luffa never seemed to care about such things, but maybe that was because it just hadn’t come up.    Hair growth was deeply unsettling to Luffa, so surely ageing would be as well…

And she wasn’t sure what Luffa would do now that she had made peace with King Rehval.   They had come to this planet for answers, and gotten them.   The search for Luffa’s grandparents had been a quick diversion, but Luffa didn’t seem too interested in it, and now that they had found Arracash, what would they do next?  

But underneath all of these issues, Zatte had to admit that she was frustrated that Planet Saiya hadn’t lived up to her hopes.   Her own people, the Dorluns, were lost to her.   One day she might find one of their communities and reconnect with them, but until that time she would be alone.  She had hoped that Luffa’s home planet might help to ease that sense of isolation, not just for Luffa, but for herself.   Instead, Planet Saiya only seemed to reinforce their isolation.  

She didn’t know what to _do_.   She was alive and safe, and by Dorlun standards that was enough, but it wasn’t enough for _her_.  It was frustrating, and listening to this crazy, old, stupid, sexy woman babbling about compost wasn’t  helping.   It wasn’t helping at all!

“Why do her hands tremble, anyway?” Arracash asked.  

“What?” Zatte said, as though snapping out of a trance.  

“Luffa’s hands,” Arracash said.   She held up her own hands and wiggled them slightly to illustrate.   Then she crossed her arms, tucking her hands under her shoulders.   “She kept trying to hide it, but I could tell.   When you’ve been around as long as I have, you learn to pick up on any weaknesses you can find.”

Zatte sighed.    “She… well, it’s a long story, and she doesn’t like to talk about it.   Maybe I shouldn’t say.”

“She’s not sick or anything, is she?” Arracash asked.  

“No,” Zatte said.   “It’s just… she lost a terrible battle and was captured.   She was pregnant and they…”

Arracash held up her hand to stop her.   “I think I get the picture.  She made those bastards pay for it, I hope.”

“Yes,” Zatte said.  “Look, please don’t tell her I told you.    She’s been recovering from it for years, and she’s still very sensitive about it.”

“Yeah, I know how it goes,” Arracash said.  “I was just worried.”

“Why?” Zatte asked.   “You hardly know her.”

“She’s still my granddaughter,” Arracash said.  “My son was a rat bastard, but she seems okay.   I guess you’d know more about that than I would.”

“She’s _wonderful_ ,” Zatte said firmly.   “She’s saved billions of people all over the galaxy, fighting battles I can’t even describe.”

“How about that?” Arracash said.   “It’s funny.  I didn’t think I had any family left.   Figured Orij would cross the wrong person one of these days, and I guess I was right.   You get to be my age, you start to worry about the life you lived, and whether any of it mattered.   Kind of nice to hear I’ve got a legacy.”

“Can I ask you something?”

“What is it?”

Zatte held out her hands.  “Why are you telling me this?   Before, you acted like you didn’t even care about Luffa.”

“Hmmph.   I didn’t want to get all mushy in front of her, that’s all,” Arracash said.   “Just because she’s a Super Saiyan doesn’t mean I’m going to start blubbering like a baby.”

She patted Zatte on the cheek.   “But you, you’re an alien.  Mushy or not, it’s all the same to you.   And you seem pretty loyal to her.   Just don’t put a bunch of parasites in her brain, okay?”

“Parasites?” Zatte asked.

“Well, whatever alien stuff you do,” Arracash said.  “Just keep taking good care of her for me, will you?   In case I don’t get to see her again.”

“I… yeah, sure,” Zatte groaned.  

“And, uh, thanks for looking me up and bringing her down here,” Arracash added.  “It really means a lot to–”

At that moment, they both sensed Luffa’s _ki_ approaching the house, and they realized she had returned.  

“I’m back,” she called out as she entered the house.    “Took longer than I thought it would.   Something’s come up, but we can talk about it after we eat–”

She entered the kitchen and gasped with horror.   “Where’s dinner?” she asked.  

Arracash grabbed a ladle and brandished it at her.   “We were waiting for _you_ to get back here and help us make it!” she growled.    “Or did you think the two of us would do it all for you while you ran around all afternoon?”

Luffa made an indignant snort.  “I was just giving you a head start!” she said.   “If I’d known it’d take _this_ long, I would have just done it myself!”

“Then why don’t you?!” Arracash roared.   “Acting like you’re better than everyone else…”

“I might as well!” Luffa shouted.   “I cooked for that no-count son of yours enough times!   Now I see where he got his work ethic!”

“I peeled some vegetables,” Zatte said, holding one of them up to show her.  

“Thanks,” Luffa said.   “At least I can count on _someone_ around here.   Save the peelings.  We’ll use ‘em for hash.”

“Hash?!” Arracash cried.  

“Damn straight,” Luffa said.   “What, have you got a better idea?”

Arracash did, and as she began to deliver the same lecture to Luffa that she had given to Zatte, the Dorlun picked up another vegetable and started peeling it with a smile.  

******

* * *

It wasn’t too difficult to get around on Planet Saiya.  She killed the Gnurlian and made it back to her hideout without any trouble at all.   The Saiyans relied too much on their _ki_ senses.   They viewed the universe in terms of power levels and brute force, and the potency of one’s life energy.    She had sidestepped all of those principles, and so they had no idea how to begin searching for her. 

It was a paradise, this planet of Saiyans.  She felt like a scavenger surrounded by fresh carrion, or a wolf in a livestock pen.   Killing them filled her with _such joy_ , and here she was on a world filled with thousands of potential targets, and none of them could stop her.  

She missed the entertainment system on Yarrow’s ship, so she had gone to the trouble of sneaking aboard another ship docked at one of the spaceports.    It had a similar recreational program, and the ship’s owners wouldn’t be back for a while, so she amused herself watching video clips on the subspace radio.

Her favorite was a compilation of various footage recorded of Luffa.   Most of it was amateurish footage obtained by eyewitnesses to her various battles.   Each clip was only a few seconds apiece, but with some creative editing, it was all spliced together in such a way that it resembled a decent little three minute video.  She would watch it over and over again.  

She admired Luffa.    For a Saiyan-hunter, Luffa was the ultimate challenge, obviously, but it was more than that.   On some  level, she hoped that Luffa might appreciate what she was doing.  Saiyans excelled at killing one another, after all, so it seemed to her that Luffa might admire someone like her, albeit begrudgingly.  

And she was fun to watch.  _Ki_ was highly overrated, in her opinion, but at least Luffa made good use of it.   She was always glowing or shooting fireballs or lasers from her hands.  It was loud and garish, but it looked cool.  Not that it would save her.  

As she watched the video a twelfth time, she felt the urge to kill again, and decided that she would find someone at the spaceport to save time.   Then she would head back to the citadel, or perhaps a different spaceport, and do it all over again.   The key was to keep moving.   As long as she didn’t spend too much time in one place, they would _never_ be able to find her.    Not even Luffa would find her, which made her feel very powerful.   She couldn’t destroy planets or level mountains, but she could end the lives of those who _could_ do those kinds of things, and that was arguably more impressive.  

One day she would meet Luffa face to face, and she would either bask in Luffa’s admiration or kill her.    Or both!  Perhaps it would be both.   But that would have to wait.    For now, she just needed to kill a Saiyan.    Any Saiyan would do.    

But before that, she decided she would re-watch her video just one more time…

**NEXT: Apex Predator**


	82. Chapter 82

_**[9 May 234 Before Age.  Planet Saiya]** _

There was a murderer loose on Planet Saiya, one who seemed to stalk and kill without a trace.  The Saiyans were a mighty warrior race, and even their weakest could defeat an entire army, but such power was useless against the unknown enemy in their midst.  

High above the planet’s surface, the Saiyans’ strongest specimen brooded in the medical bay of her star yacht as it ascended through the atmosphere.   Her mood seemed to grow worse as the altitude increased.  

“I don’t like it, Zattie,” Luffa muttered.  When she had entered the room, Luffa had taken a seat on one of the examination beds.   Since then, she had drawn her feet up on the mattress, and now she was hugging her own knees.   “It sends the wrong message.   I know we’re not running away, but it _feels_ like we are, and it’ll just embolden the enemy.”

Nearby, Zatte was inserting fluid samples into a testing apparatus.  She paused to look over a page of notes, then entered a few commands and watched the machine do its work.  Satisfied that the automated test was underway, she turned to Luffa and brushed a loose strand of red hair away from one of her green eyes.  

“Lighten up, dear,” Zatte said.  "The enemy’s pretty bold already, or he wouldn’t be targeting you Saiyans on your own home planet.“

"It’s not _my_ home planet,” Luffa corrected.  "I told you, I wasn’t born here, I–“

"You were born in space, I know,” Zatte said.  "You keep telling me, just like you keep telling me this isn’t the planet the Saiyans originated on.   But it is where most of your people live, so I’m going to keep calling it your home planet until you can give me a better word for it.“

She removed a pair of nitrile rubber gloves and then sat down beside Luffa on the bed, where she began tousling her short black hair.  "Look, _we_ know we’re not running away.   We’re only taking the ship into orbit to get better subspace radio reception with the medical center on Bigreen.”

Luffa snorted in assent.  

“And the public down there doesn’t know King Rehval asked you to find the killer.  For now, they don’t even know the killer is here on the planet.  They have no reason to think you’re abandoning them to save yourself.”

“True,” Luffa said.  

“And the killer doesn’t know you’re on his trail, so he’s got no reason to think you’re running away.   Even if he did, that works to our favor, right?  We want him to get overconfident, so he’ll make a mistake.”

“But there’s nothing I can do up here,” Luffa protested.  "You don’t need my help to run those samples from the latest victims.  Even if Planet Bigreen’s database turns up something Rehval’s investigators missed, it’ll take hours for them to sort through it all.“

"There’s nothing you can do down there, either,” Zatte said.  "Look, your grandmother wanted to see the ship, and we needed to take it up into orbit, and I didn’t want to leave you down there on your own.“

"I’m the Super Saiyan,” Luffa grumbled.  "That killer wouldn’t come anywhere _near_ me–“

"Then what difference does it make _where_ you are right now?” Zatte asked.

“I still don’t like this, Zattie,” Luffa said.  "I’m bored.“

"Well, go check up on Arracash,” Zatte said.  "PB-2’s probably done showing her around the ship by now.“

Luffa shrugged and left the bay without a word.  

*******

She found Arracash on the observation deck.   The service droid, PB-2 idled at a respectable distance, close enough to attend to their guest, but far enough away so as not to become a nuisance.  The elder Saiyan was looking at the view of Planet Saiya through the transparent material that made up most of the deck, but Luffa suspected that her grandmother was just as bored as herself.  

"Fancy ship you’ve got here, kid,” Arracash said without turning around.  

Due to Saiyan biology, Arracash looked almost identical to Luffa, despite being five decades older.  If anything, Luffa looked a little older, thanks to the haunted look in her eyes and the dark circles directly below them.  Against this, the tiny sparkles of gray in Arracash’s black hair were inconsequential.  

“It gets me where I need to go,” Luffa said.  She stood beside her and put her hands behind her back as she looked out over the planet.  

“You’ve done well for yourself,” Arracash said.  "At first, I thought your wife was exaggerating, but your robot’s been filling me in on some of your work.   You killed a Glorm?“

"I killed five of them,” Luffa said.  "The first one’s family wanted revenge, and they tried to gang up on me.“   She grinned and added: "Last mistake they ever made.”

“F-five?  A long time ago, I hunted _one_ ,” Arracash said.   “Me and twenty other Saiyans, and six of us didn’t make it back, including your grandfather.”

“Hah!  Guess I avenged him, then.”

“You’re really something, Luffa,” Arracash said.   “You were scary enough when I thought you were an alien, but somehow knowing you’re a fellow Saiyan makes it even scarier.”

“Thanks,” Luffa said.  "Just for that, I’ll make you something special when I fix dinner tonight.“

"Then I guess we’ll see if your wife was exaggerating about your cooking,” Arracash said.   “I almost hope so.   I’d like to think you have _some_ weaknesses.”

“Oh, I’ve got plenty of weaknesses, Arracash,” Luffa said with a harrumph.   She tapped the side of her head with her finger.   “Mostly between my ears.  Rehval thinks _I_ can catch that serial killer down there, but I don’t even know where to start.  Good thing I brought Zatte along, or I’d look like a real jerk right about now.”

“Why don’t you get some shut-eye?” Arracash suggested.  "You look like you could use it.“

Luffa sniffed and shook her head.   "I don’t sleep very well,” she said with a yawn.   “But I guess I’ve got time to try.”

With that, Luffa excused herself and retired to the yacht’s gymnasium, where she usually slept on a pile of mats.  Normally, it took her at least an hour to fall asleep, but this time, she nodded off almost as soon as she closed her eyes.

*******

* * *

_**[9 May 234 Before Age. Planet Nubree.]** _

And then, Luffa found herself in a completely different place altogether.  The familiar odors of her ship were replaced with… _nothing_.   She wondered if something had happened to her sense of smell, and then she realized that she wasn’t breathing.  She looked down at her hands, and was shocked to see that they were now a translucent white.  Even her black fingerless gloves were white, which struck her as odd, since she had taken them off before going to sleep.

Before she could wonder what had happened to her, someone helpfully presented himself to offer an explanation.   “What you are experiencing is only temporary,” he said in a sharp, clinical voice.   “This is my doing, and I shall return your astral form to your body very soon.”

Luffa turned to look at the speaker.   He was a humanoid, pale-skinned, completely hairless, and clad in a gold t-shirt with denim shorts.   He delivered a crisp salute with his right hand once their eyes met.  

“I am Magister Xilef, and I must ask that you forgive me for bringing you here without permission or warning.   For some time now I have cast my mental powers across the stars in desperate search of aid.”

“Astral form?” Luffa asked, somewhat surprised to see that she could still speak.  

“Your body remains aboard your vessel, in orbit around the Planet Saiya,” Magister Xilef explained.   “It was my psionic power that drew your astral self–the sum total of your mind and consciousness–here to this world, the planet Nubree.”

“Nubree…” Luffa said.   She rubbed her thumb against her chin thoughtfully, then wondered if it made any sense to do this if it was only a phantom chin and a phantom thumb.  "Then you don’t have anything to do with the alien killer stalking the Planet Saiya right now.“

Xilef shook his head.  "I know little of Planet Saiya, save for whatever I happened to glean from your surface thoughts.  Your homeworld, is it not?”

Luffa was about to correct him, but decided it wasn’t worth the hassle.   “You said you needed help,” she said.   “What’s the trouble?”

He gestured to a crude assemblage of video monitors which displayed footage of various locations around the planet.   Most of it was scenes of angry-looking men wearing colorful costumes while they destroyed things.

“The Shadowlord has seized power in Nubree,” Xilef explained.  "My species is in the throes of the next stage of genetic evolution.    I and my followers seek to use our advanced traits to help and protect the less fortunate, but other mutants have deluded themselves into believing their gifts give them the right to oppress the weak.“

"Where are your followers now?” Luffa asked without looking away from the screens.  

Xilef was somewhat embarrassed by the question.  "I, er… they disbanded recently.“

"Disbanded?  In the middle of a crisis?” Luffa asked.   She pointed at one of the screens, which showed a man shape-shifting his arms into an excavator, which he used to tear apart a national monument.   “Some of these guys look pretty tough.  You mean your people are willing to sit this out?”

“Well, you see, a short time ago, I faked my death as part of a resolution to a prior crisis.   Though my gambit was successful, the deception caused some hard feelings within the group,” Xilef said.   “Also one of my field leaders had an extramarital affair, which only exacerbated tensions, until–”

“Enough,” Luffa said.  "You need me to take out this Shadowlord goof, and any of these other creeps while I’m at it.   I’m game.   Only I can’t exactly do that without my body.“

"I beg to differ,” Xilef replied.   “When I realized that no one on Nubree could rise against the tide of evil, I cast my mind out into the depths of space.  My search was quite thorough, and I promise you that I would not have bothered to bring you here unless I was sure you were up to the task.”

“Do you even know who I am?” Luffa asked.  

“The Legendary Super Saiyan,” Xilef said.  "Your reputation as a mighty warrior has spread across the galaxy, and you loom large in the collective psyche of hundreds of planets.   It was one of the things that drew me to you.“

Impulsively, she reached out to grab him by the collar of his shirt, but her immaterial hands simply passed through him.  "I earned that reputation with my _body_ , you idiot!” she growled.  "Without it, I’m just a headcase with anger issues!“

He regarded her with a hopeful expression, and she could tell that she wasn’t going to convince him this way.  

"Look, if you send me back to my ship,” she said, “we can make a plan, and I can come here in person to–”

“There is no time for that,” Xilef said.  "Bringing your consciousness to Nubree _is_ the plan.  All that remains is to see if my stratagem is successful.“

Luffa was about to ask him what he meant by that, and then there came a loud rumble like thunder, and the bald man nearly lost his footing.  Luffa couldn’t feel the room shaking as the rumbling continued, but the cracks that formed in the walls were enough to indicate that they were under attack.

"Is that the Shadowlord?”  Luffa asked.    She couldn’t even sense any _ki_ presence in her current state.  It frustrated her to have so little agency in this situation.

“No,” Xilef said, “My psi-probe is detecting another of my foes attacking this edifice, but the Shadowlord is… with him?  Great Hustle!   Could they have formed an alliance?!  Thus far the only thing that has maintained the peace has been their conflicting agendas and power struggles.  If enough evil mutants were to pool their resources–!”

“Then we need to call in your allies!” Luffa insisted.  "I can’t fight them like this, and I doubt you can take them on alone!“

"Don’t worry about me,” he assured her.  "I am more formidable than I look, though I agree with your tactical assessment.  If I oppose them here and now, they will most certainly kill me.  Fortunately, you won’t be harmed if it comes to that.  My powers are what hold your astral form here, and once that hold is released, you will return your body and wake up on your ship.“

"Then you brought me here to watch you die?!” Luffa shouted.

“Quite the opposite,” he said as he dispassionately watched the cracks spreading across one of the walls.  "I brought you here to keep me alive.“

"But I _can’t_ –” she began to say, but she could see no reason to finish.  She wanted to argue with him, to force him to accept the situation as she saw it, but what good would that do?  It was just as hopeless whether he listened to her or not.

Desperately, she tried to make sense of all this.  If he truly couldn’t win, then maybe this was his way of going out on his own terms.  Maybe Xilef just wanted someone to bear witness to his last stand.  Maybe he wanted to cling to hope right up to the end.  Maybe he just wanted someone to talk to before he met his fate.

She could respect that, but she wished he could have picked someone else.  It made her sick to have to see this, to have to stand by helplessly and watch someone die in a mismatch.    She wished she could leave this place, but at the same time she didn’t think she could bear the thought of abandoning him in his final hour.  The very _least_ she could do was to honor his wishes.

But it still made her sick.  And it made her angry.  She looked down at her phantom hands.  They didn’t tremble like her real hands, but she suspected that they would be trembling if her body was here.

Finally, the enemy broke in through the ceiling.  It was then that Luffa realized this place was an underground bunker.  The top was thick and heavily reinforced, but it crumbled under the repeated blows of whoever was above them.  Clouds of dust obscured the intruders, and the sunlight overhead made them look like shadows.

“Magister Xilef!” called one of them.  Judging from the size of his fists, Luffa suspected he had been the one to do the digging.  "You gave us a merry chase, old man, but now it ends!  You’ve nowhere left to hide, save for the embrace of oblivion.“

"Well said, Deuteronomy,” added another.  "Though it disgusts me to join forces with you, for now the fruit we reap from this alliance is sweet indeed.  With Xilef defeated, the way is clear, and all of Nubree shall become the petri dish of Señor Malevolence!“

"You should have joined me, Jonce!” scolded another.  "Our destiny is to rule over the inferior Nubrians, but you insisted upon wasting your powers to protect them, and for what?! In your final hour, you stand alone, abandoned by all!    The old heroes are gone, Jonce Xilef!  If you insist upon standing with them, then you can be cast into the dustbin of history as well.“

They all ignored Luffa, and just when she began to think none of them could sense her presence, one of them turned and looked right at her, his face twisted into a leering grin.

"My my, Xilef, I didn’t realize you were entertaining guests here,” he said.  "I hope your charming friend won’t mind if we join the party.“

"Leave him alone, you bastards,” Luffa warned.

“No, I don’t think so,” he replied.  "For too long I have waged this psychic cold war against Xilef and his brood.  What sort of Shadowlord would I be if I showed mercy at the moment of triumph?“

"The kind that stays alive…” Luffa muttered.  It was an empty threat, but these people liked to talk, and every second she kept them gloating would be another second Xilef would survive.

“Is this who you summoned to stand beside you in the end, Xilef?” the Shadowlord laughed.  "I suppose you have no one left to choose from.  No heroes, no mighty warriors or cunning strategists.  Just some strange looking woman who makes jokes.  Does she not know what I have done, Xilef?  Have you not explained that my psionic corruption has spread across the people of this world like a plague?  Is she unaware of the depths of your failure, or the dark depravities heralded by my victory?“

"I know all I need to know about you people,” Luffa said.  "You love making speeches, but you’re just like every other punk I’ve crushed under my boots.“

"Defiant words, cow,” the Shadowlord said with a sniff.  "A shame that your talk is as impotent as your astral image.“

"I can fight my own battles, Shadowlord,” Xilef said.  "I applaud your ability to forge this truce among yourselves, but it changes nothing.“

"Idealistic drivel,” said Deuteronomy.  "Typical of the champions of the first law, the law of ‘virtues’ and 'tolerance’.  I bring the second law, the law of survival of the fittest, of rule by the strong!  Allow me to demonstrate!“

With that, he struck Xilef with the same hands he had used to punch his way into the fortified bunker.  Xilef was killed instantly.

Luffa was neither surprised nor shocked to see this.  She had no reason to expect the old man to defend himself, nor did she expect his enemies to show restraint when they held such an overwhelming advantage.   And she had seen plenty of brutal deaths in her short life.  Indeed, she had often been the one doing the killing.  This was nothing new to her.

But it galled her to be a helpless spectator to such an unfair contest.  She didn’t particularly like Xilef that much, but he had called put to her for aid, and she had been unable to do anything for him.  Even though there was nothing she could have done, it still rankled her pride nonetheless.

And then she wondered why she was still here.  If Xilef was dead, then his power over her astral form had died with him, and she should have been shunted back to her body as he claimed.

And then she noticed that she could feel the concrete floor beneath her boots.  The Shadowlord noticed it too, and then the others soon after.  She had somehow reunited with her body, and they could all see her now.

"How–?!” the Shadowlord asked.

She didn’t know how.  She didn’t care how.  All that mattered was that she wasn’t powerless anymore.  She couldn’t protect Magister Xilef, but she could certainly avenge him.

“What was it you said?   'Survival of the fittest?!’” she asked, her lips curling back to reveal a mirthless smile.  She raised her hands and began to crack her knuckles.  "That suits me just fine…“

And then the entire bunker was engulfed in golden light.

*******

* * *

Xilef’s enemies had nearly conquered Nubree, and they were indeed powerful, but that just made hunting them down that much more fun.

Against Luffa’s Super Saiyan power, all they could do was flee in terror.  All their sanctimonious talk about evolution and rule by the strong went out the window once they were faced with someone as far beyond them as they were beyond their usual victims.  They were cowards, pure and simple, and so Luffa treated them as such.

It took the Federation two weeks to deploy an occupation fleet to Nubree.    Luffa didn’t need the military support to conquer the planet, but she liked the message it sent: There would be no escape from her wrath.  It took longer for Zatte to get to the planet, but it was worth it.  Though Zatte wasn’t strong enough to battle the Nubreen mutants directly, she was an excellent sniper and Luffa enjoyed seeing her wife put those skills to work.  And Arracash could hold her own against some of Polaron’s henchmen.  Luffa was considering extending invitations to Wampaaan'riix and his family, though she wasn’t sure there would be anyone left to fight by the time they arrived.

No.  She was _sure_ there wouldn’t be anyone left to fight.   She was having the time of her life, and she didn’t plan to hold back and wait, even for a friend.

The Shadowlord was a bit of a nuisance.  His mental powers were formidable, and more versatile than Luffa’s own, but she was starting to think she had broken his spirit.  He was nothing but a degenerate hedonist, a creature who only knew how to use his powers to hurt people and whet his sick appetites.    He didn’t know how to fight for a cause, or how to rally in the face of stiff opposition.  In their telepathic confrontations, Luffa had always made it clear that she would continue fighting on Nubree until he was utterly destroyed, and nothing would deter her from that goal.  The Shadowlord’s only motivation was a pathetic dream of a world steeped in debauchery.  He thought it was so dark and terrible, until Luffa forced him to experience some of her least favorite nightmares.  After that, he seemed to realize that he couldn’t frighten a Saiyan warrior who had seen far worse than his pitiful mind could imagine.

Deuteronomy had actually begged her for mercy.  She had killed him for his hypocrisy.  Others rose up to try to take his place, and Luffa made sport of them all.  They stood for nothing but their own greed and their false sense of supremacy.  Humiliating them was deeply satisfying.  Weakness wasn’t a _sin_ , but a _challenge_ to be met and overcome.   Weakness was a promise of the strength that lay ahead, just begging to be claimed.  She had taught Deuteronomy this instead of listening to his whimpering pleas.  She only wished Xilef could have lived to see it.

She had spent the last several hours stalking Señor Malevolence.  He had shown a bit of spirit before, but that had all changed when Luffa located his secret laboratory and destroyed it.  All that one cared about what his precious _research_ , but he lacked the courage to defend it when it was threatened.  With nothing else to motivate him, he could only hide and hope that Luffa would lose interest in him.

She wouldn’t.  As she ripped open the door to one of his safe houses on a remote island, she told him as much, then began beating him to death.  Señor Malevolence had modified his own body to make himself resistant to bodily harm, but that only meant it would take longer for him to die.  He might find a way to escape, like he did three days earlier, but Luffa would just find him again, and where could he hope to go?

And just as he seemed to resign himself to this inevitability, just as Luffa’s fists were about to strike the final blow, everything stopped…  And they were back in Xilef’s bunker, alive and unharmed.

Luffa was confused, and she almost approached them to renew her attack, but then she realized she was in her astral form once again, powerless and immaterial.

"Welcome back,” said Magister Xilef, alive and smiling pleasantly.  "I trust all of you have learned something from this.“

*******

* * *

"A trick!” cried Deuteronomy.  It was supposed to be an accusation, but since his last memory was being beaten to death by a Super Saiyan, he was more grateful for the deception than he would have admitted.

“You linked our minds together with your mutant power,” Senor Malevolence surmised.  "When we thought we were killing you, we were actually sharing an imaginary experience of your own invention.“

"Not quite,” Xilef explained.  Luffa noticed he was sweating and had removed his shirt.  He lowered himself to the floor to sit down.  "I did create the scenario, but I endeavored to make it as close to the real-world as possible.  But your actions within that scenario were all your own.  What you did there was exactly what you would have done in the real world… with one difference.“

"This woman,” The Shadowlord said bitterly as he pointed to Luffa’s astral image.  "You made us think that she had appeared her in the flesh, so that she could turn her powers against us.“

"Which is exactly what she _would_ have done, given the chance,” Xilef said.  "I am somewhat fatigued from maintaining the psi-link, but if you’ll allow me, I shall enable the rest of you to see her.“

Once he did, they were startled to see Luffa, even in a ghostly, powerless form.  In the simulation, she had killed most of them, and was well on her way to conquering their planet and destroying their life’s work.  Even now, she was smiling, looking them over like a starving woman anticipating a meal.

"I think I’m getting the idea, Magister,” Luffa said.  "You wanted to give your enemies a taste of what I would do to them, but there wasn’t time to bring me here in person.“

"It makes no difference!” Deuteronomy scowled.  "The fact remains that she is not here, Xilef, and you are too weak to stop me from killing you in reality.“

"If you so much as touch him,” Luffa warned, “I’ll make what happened in the psi-link feel gentle.”

Deuteronomy had taken a step towards Xilef as she said this, and then he immediately took a step back.

“A bluff,” he said.  "Xilef exaggerated you power in that fantasy.“

"Then call my bluff, you _coward_ ,” Luffa said.  "Kill him.  I know where this planet is.  It might take me a while to get there, but I’d love to knock you jerks around some more.  You call yourselves 'superior’, right?  You should be looking forward to fighting someone like me.  If I were you, I’d kill him, then start training as hard as I could to prepare for the fight of my life.“

They stared at her, speechless.

"I have no way to convince you,” Xilef said, “but I did try to reproduce her strength as accurately as I could.”

“There, you see?” Luffa said.  "We can’t _really_ know how our powers compare until I drop by in person, and _then_ we can settle it properly.  I bet if you all ganged up on me, it’d be a pretty fun day.  But, if you harm Xilef, I’ll make it your _last_ day, got it?“

"Luffa’s people crave battle as an end unto itself,” Xilef explained.  "I searched the galaxy for an ally strong enough to defeat you, but also one _determined_ to defeat you.  There were others, but Luffa was not only willing to help me, she was also stubborn enough to fight you even if victory was impossible.“

"That’s a good point,” Luffa said.  "I’m the strongest person I know, but I’ve run into some aliens who could probably take these guys.  A flock of glorms could probably give them a hard time.“

"You all have clung to your power as a license to do as you please,” Xilef said.  "Each of you foolishly assuming that Nubrean mutants are untouchable.  But beyond our planet lies worlds beyond your imagination.  Today, I have shown you what lies beyond the veil, gentlemen, and there can be no going back to your former ignorance.  You all know what Luffa can do, and she is now very much aware of you.“

"So kill him, Deuteronomy,” Luffa taunted.  "Give me a reason to rip you to shreds.  Go ahead.  I can’t stop you, but I can make you regret it.“

They all looked at one another, and then back to Xilef.

"What are your terms, Jonce?”  Polaron asked.  

“I’m in no position to accept surrenders,” Xilef said.  "I only seek to change your perspective.  Think about this for a time, and later, when you are ready, we can talk…“

None of them cared for this proposition, but when they considered Luffa’s eager glare, they could see no alternative.

*******

* * *

After Xilef’s enemies took their leave, he turned his attention to Luffa.

"You’ve got guts, Magister,” Luffa said.  "Those guys could have squashed you like a bug… Hell, they still might.  But you stood your ground.  I’m impressed.“

"I only told them the truth,” he said.  "Which would have been impossible without you.  Thank you for your help.“

"I didn’t do anything, though,” she said.  "Nothing real anyway.“

"You underestimate yourself,” Xilef said.  "This entire encounter should have demonstrated that there is more to strength than physical might.    What won this battle was your _character_.  I needed them to see your _willingness_ to fight, and your refusal to give up the battle.  I needed 'that thing between your ears,’ as I believe you so recently called it.“

"Yeah,” she said.  "I’m kind of a headcase, honestly.  I guess that has its advantages sometimes.“

"If compassion is a disease,” Xilef said, “then I hope it’s contagious.  Now, I’ve taken up enough of your time.  If you’ll allow me a moment to prepare, I shall return you to your body–”

“Wait,” Luffa said.  "One last thing.  I’ve got some mental abilities of my own, so I know enough to tell that your telepathy is way more advanced than mine.  You found me from the other end of the galaxy, and brought me here instantly.  Then you linked all our minds together, and I know those guys wouldn’t have agreed to go along with it.“

"I took them by surprise,” Xilef said.  "Otherwise, their combined resistance would have proved troublesome.“

"Yeah, but even so, with all that telepathic power you have, it’s hard to believe you needed my help at all.  Why go to all of this trouble just to send them a warning?  Why not just mindwipe them and be done with it?”

Xilef smiled.  "My dear Luffa, you are not the only one who worries losing control of her own power.  I’m a bit of a 'headcase’ myself, depending on whom you ask.“

"You don’t say,” Luffa replied.

“Perhaps when you visit Nubree in person,” he offered, “you and I can help each other again.    Until then, enjoy the rest of your nap.”

*******

* * *

 

_**[9 May 234 Before Age.  Planet Saiya.]** _

She awoke to find her grandmother looming over her like a specter.  Luffa was startled, but managed to resist the instinct to lash out with her powers.

“Are you gonna lay around here all day?” Arracash asked testily.  "I thought you said you didn’t sleep well.“

"I don’t,” Luffa said, “usually.”  She was about to ask how Arracash had gotten into the gym, then noticed that the door had been torn open.  She wasn’t used to having other Saiyans on board.

“So should I start wrecking _your_ house?” Luffa asked irritably as she pointed to the broken doorway.

“I knocked, and you didn’t answer,” Arracash said.  "The the computer got smart with me, so I took matters into my own hands.  Thought _that_ would wake you up, but I guess not.“

Luffa felt too refreshed to get upset about the door.  Quality sleep was such a rarity for her that she almost didn’t know how to respond to it.  "I had a really nice dream,” she said.

“Well, sorry to interrupt, but your wife wanted to see you.  Don’t know why she couldn’t come find you herself…  Must be an alien thing, or she’s so used to bossing _you_ around, she thinks _all_ us Saiyans are pushovers.”

Luffa ignored her muttering and rolled to her feet.  A few minutes later, she was in the yacht’s sickbay, where Zatte was still reviewing the results of her tests.

“You found something already?” Luffa asked.  "I thought it would take longer for Bigreen to run it through their database.“

"It would,” Zatte said.  "Actually, they’re still processing it, but there’s no need.  They’ll never get a match.“

"What are you talking about?” Luffa asked.

“I ran the toxin through our own ship’s computer, just in case we had any data the Saiyans didn’t,” Zatte said.  "I was just looking for something to do while I waited to hear back from Bigreen.  But _we_ got a match, because Doctor Topsas performed physicals on Keda and me a few years ago.  Our bloodwork is still on file in the ship’s database.“

Luffa suddenly understood why Zatte looked so worried.  "Hold on,” she said.  "Are you telling me the Saiyan-killer is–?“

"The enemy is a Dorlun,” Zatte said. “Just like me.”

**NEXT: The Apostate**


	83. Chapter 83

_**[10 May 234 Before Age.  Planet Saiya.]** _

Aboard Luffa’s star-yacht, the _Emerald Eye_ , Luffa’s wife was trying to explain her forensic findings to Luffa’s grandmother, Arracash.   It was not going well.

“Let me get this straight,” Arracash said.  "This Saiyan-killer– or whatever you call it– is using a poison as a weapon.  So you tested the poison traces found in the bodies of his latest victims, hoping to find out where it came from.  Turns out, it matches up with proteins found in _your_ species.“

"That’s right,” Zatte said.  For a moment, she dared to believe that the old Saiyan might not be so clueless after all.

“So you’re _poisonous_?” Arracash asked.

“She’s _not_ poisonous,” Luffa growled.

“She peeled all those vegetables for me,” Arracash snapped.  "And she handled my good pots!“

"That was two days ago, and we’re _still alive_ , you idiot!” Luffa shouted.

“But what if it’s a slow-acting thing?” Arracash countered.  A look of horror came over her.  "That’s probably why you have so much trouble sleeping, Luffa.  She’s been making you sick–“

Luffa leaped up from her chair and took a step towards Arracash.  "I’m gonna show you how sick I am, you senile–”

“That’s enough, both of you,” Zatte insisted.   The three of them were sitting at a table on the observation deck to discuss the situation.  She thought she understood Saiyans pretty well after living with Luffa and her family, and then marrying her, but this visit to the Saiyan homeworld had forced her to question how well she really knew Luffa’s species.  Arracash was Luffa’s grandmother, perhaps the only living blood relative Luffa had left.  But they had never met until this week, and all they ever seemed to do was bicker and posture.  It was as though they didn’t recognize each other as family at all.

And yet, they both seemed to take their relation to Zatte very seriously.  Arracash bristled at the idea of an alien granddaughter-in-law, but she seemed to respect Zatte on some level, possibly out of deference to the marriage, if not either of them individually.  Of course, Luffa always deferred to their marriage, mostly because it had been Luffa’s idea.

“I’m not poisonous,” Zatte said after they had calmed down.  "A doctor named Topsas ran tests on me to make certain of that before the wedding.“  She looked over to Luffa and added: "He was worried about you.”

Luffa leaned back in her chair and faced away from them, just in case she began to blush.

“Anyway, that’s how the ship’s computers matched the toxin to my medical records.  My people are reclusive by nature, Arracash.  That’s why I haven’t told you where I come from or what we call ourselves.  Even if one of my race submitted to medical scans, there’d be no record of the species to associate with the data.  It would be listed as an unidentified alien life form.  That’s why no one could characterize the toxin until now.”

“You told this _doctor_ where you came from,” Arracash said.  Zatte was surprised by how hurt she sounded.  

“Doc and I go way back,” Luffa said.  "He’s part of the family.“

"And I suppose I’m _not_ ,” Arracash muttered.

“Oh, sure,” Luffa snarled.  "I’ll just betray my woman’s secrets like a rank amateur.  Because your _feelings_   got hurt.“

"Right,” Arracash grumbled.   “I forgot you’re the almighty _Super_ Saiyan, so you automatically know everything about being a warrior.   Well let me tell you something, little girl–”

“I’m a Dorlun,” Zatte said.

Luffa made a surprised look.  "You don’t have to–!“ she gasped.

"Yes, I do,” Zatte said.  "Arracash is right.  We’re family, after all.“

Luffa looked back at her grandmother and pointed at her.  "If you breathe a _word_ of this to _anyone_ , I’ll–”

“Luffa, she’s not going to tell anyone,” Zatte said in exasperation.  "And even if she did, you’re not going to do anything about it, all right?   The Children of Dor lasted this long without you threatening everyone we meet.“

Arracash made a satisfied harrumph.  "I think I like this alien of yours, Luffa.   She’s got some pride after all.  Reminds me of my second husband.”

“Whatever,” Luffa said.  "Can we get back to the killer?“

Zatte nodded with some relief.   "Like I said, Dorluns aren’t poisonous, at least not to any life forms I know of, but there is an old trick for converting blood into a powerful toxin.  You’d put a little blood in a cup and mix it with some alkaloids found in certain roots, and boil it over a fire for several hours.  Then you can dip your weapons in it and use it for hunting game or neutralizing predators.”

“I don’t see why anyone would go to all that trouble,” Arracash said bluntly.  

“It’s only meant for extreme survival situations,” Zatte admitted.  "But every adult Dorlun knows how to do it, just in case the need arises.“

"Except our killer isn’t in an extreme survival situation,” Luffa said.  "He came _here_ , looking for trouble.  That doesn’t sound like any Dorlun I’ve ever met.  It’s more likely this is some other alien who found out about this poison and started using it to cover his tracks.“

"No, I already considered that,” Zatte said.  "Even if an alien managed to find a Dorlun, he’d still need the recipe, and a supply of fresh blood to work with.   If the killer isn’t Dorlun himself, he must have an accomplice who is, and that’s just as bad.“

*******

* * *

"Why would one of your people attack Saiyans?” Rehval asked.  

They were sitting in one of the drawing rooms of Rehval’s palatial tower on Saiya’s surface.  Zatte and Luffa had just finished explaining to him what they had told Arracash, except for the name of Zatte’s species.    

“I honestly don’t know, Your Majesty,” Zatte said.   “My people are survivalists, not warriors or trophy hunters.  We try to avoid drawing attention to ourselves.”

“That must be difficult for you, being married to a living legend,” Rehval said.  

“Not really,” Zatte said.   “Everyone’s too busy looking at Luffa to notice me much.   As long as I keep a low profile, it works out pretty well.   But that’s why I won’t tell you what my people are called.”

“I understand,” Rehval said.  "Discretion isn’t a very Saiyan trait, but I can see the tactical advantage.   But that still leaves us with the question of motive.“

"I’ve lived among Zatte’s people for years,” Luffa said.  She was lying on a couch, staring up at the patterns molded into the ceiling.  "They only kill in self-defense, and only when there’s no safer option.  Now maybe some of the early victims provoked the situation and brought this upon themselves.   But the killer came _here_ , to Planet Saiya.   He’s _looking_ for fresh game, even if it brings the wrath of the entire Saiyan race down on his head.   So if he is one of Zatte’s race, he’s a heretic.“

"Then he could be seeking revenge,” Rehval said.   “It’s not hard to imagine a Saiyan attacking his home or family.”

“Or he might be after glory,” Luffa offered.   “You and I would find it pointless to kill a worthy opponent with stealth and poison, but a lot of non-Saiyans would consider it impressive.  Killing one of our kind is a great feat to most people, no matter how it happened.”

Rehval took a seat in an expensive-looking chair and stroked his chin thoughtfully.   “Is there any antidote to the toxin?” he asked.  "Any way for my people to protect themselves?“

Zatte and Luffa looked at each other before answering.    "No,” Zatte finally said.  "Even if there were, it acts very quickly at the dosage found in the victims.  There wouldn’t be time to administer a treatment.  For what it’s worth, I’m naturally immune.“

"We think we can use that,” Luffa said.  "If we make Zatte the official face of the investigation, the killer may target her like the last guy you brought in.   Since the poison won’t work on her, he’ll have to improvise something else, and maybe he’ll make a mistake.“

"Clever,” Rehval said.  "But what if he doesn’t take the bait?“

"I’ve been thinking about how to flush this guy out,” Luffa said.   “A while back Zatte and I trained some Saiyans in the Nat-Chezz system.   Zatte would hide in a jungle and they’d have to find her without blowing up the whole place.”

“Rainforest,” Zatte said.  

“What?” Luffa asked.  

“It was a rainforest, not a jungle,” Zatte said.  

“You were the one who told me it was a jungle,” Luffa said.  

“No I didn’t,” Zatte insisted.  

“Why would I make that up?” Luffa demanded.  

“I don’t know, but I wouldn’t have told you that, because it was a rainforest.”

“What difference does it make?” Luffa asked.  

“It makes a lot of difference when you’re the one hiding in it all day,” Zatte said.

Rehval cleared his throat and held up his index finger to gently get their attention.  "Er, ladies?“ he said.  

They both looked at him and Luffa rolled her eyes impatiently.   "Fine, it was a _rainforest_ ,” Luffa said.  "The point is that we’ve got the same problem here, but on a planet-wide scale.  I have a technique that could help, but timing is critical, so I might need some help.“

Rehval nodded.  "I’ll arrange whatever resources you need, Luffa,” he assured her.   “How many warriors?”

Luffa smiled and pointed at him ominously.  "Just one, Rehval,“ she said.  

"Me?” he asked.  His expression was one of intrigue more than surprise.

“You said you wanted to spar with me sometime,” Luffa reminded him.   “I’ll need to get your measure for what I have in mind.   Besides, I think it’s time to find out if you really are the _second_ strongest Saiyan on this planet.”

*******

* * *

“This is a waste of time, if you asked me.”

While Rehval and Luffa made their own preparations, Zatte went to the administrative floor of the citadel to begin her new assignment.  At first, she was worried about fitting in, but nearly everyone in this part of the building was an alien like herself.  The only Saiyan she saw was the security head, a tall, gaunt woman with a scar on her cheek.  

“You’re Finule?” Zatte asked.  It was a rhetorical question, so instead of waiting for an answer, she took out the credentials Rehval had arranged for her.  "I was told to report to you before I started.“

Finule snatched Zatte’s paperwork and looked it over quickly but thoroughly.   "This is a waste of time,” she muttered.  

“Excuse me?” Zatte asked.  

Finule turned and headed for one of the offices along the hallway.  Her furry tail swayed a certain way which Zatte thought might indicate distress although she hadn’t been around enough Saiyans to be sure.   Luffa wrapped hers around her waist when she was upset, for example.  At last, Finule raised her hand and waved for Zatte to indicate that she wanted her to follow.  

“We just got the Gnurlian carted out of this place,” Finule grumbled as they entered the room.   “And now he’s got a new off-worlder to take over.”

“I take it this is my office?” Zatte asked.  She knew the previous investigator was a Gnurlian, and that she had the macabre honor of inheriting his workspace.  

Finule closed the door and crossed her arms.   She looked like a toothpick compared to Luffa’s build, but being at least a foot taller gave Finule a formidable presence nonetheless.  

“Zatte, was it?” she asked.   “I’ll be blunt.  If you know what’s good for you, you’ll resign before you end up like the Gnurlian who used to work here.”

“Is that a threat?” Zatte asked calmly.  

“Not from me,” Finule said.  "They truck you aliens in from all over, so you can push papers and run whatever our beloved king calls a ‘government’.  And then they expect people like me to protect you.  Well, I can handle a disgruntled Saiyan who didn’t fill out his taxes, but how am I supposed to fight with whoever’s doing _this_?“

Zatte took a seat in the chair and started checking the desk drawers for anything of use.   "Let me worry about the killer, Finule.   That’s what I’m here for.”

“That’s what the Gnurlian told me, more or less,” Finule said.   “Take it from me, you want no part of Planet Saiya right now.   The Rehvals have had their fun playing kingdom, but now we’ve got a real crisis on our hands, and this is where their game starts to fall apart.”

“You don’t care for the regime, I take it?” Zatte asked.  

“I came to this planet because Rehval was strong,” Finule explained.   “And he is, but he’s also too focused on interstellar politics and alien fashions.   That’s why this killer dared to come here.   He senses that the Saiyans here are weak, and he’s looking to make a name at our expense!”

Zatte raised an eyebrow as she regarded Finule.  "If you’re so unhappy with the way Rehval runs the planet,“ she asked, "why stay?”

She shifted uncomfortably, and the defiance in her eyes flickered as she thought about how to answer.   “I have my reasons,” she said.  "But you don’t owe us anything.   You’re just a bureaucrat who could find work on any number of planets.   I suggest you find someplace safer.“  

Zatte wanted to reassure her, but she wasn’t sure how.   "I have my own reasons for being here, Finule,” she finally said.   “And I plan to see this through.”

And then they both sensed it.   A sudden increase in _ki_ originating thousands of miles to the north.  Large _ki_ signatures were typical on Planet Saiya, as much of the population engaged in training exercises, sparring contests, or actual combat.   There  were some who simply didn’t bother to suppress their power when they weren’t using it.   But even among this thunderstorm of giant _ki_ signatures, what Zatte and Finule sensed was like an explosion.  

“That’s Rehval!” Finule gasped.  "It has to be!  But who’s with him?   What the hell is that idiot doing?!“

Zatte didn’t answer, mostly because she didn’t want to explain how she knew.   But that didn’t stop her from smiling proudly.  

*******

* * *

To Luffa’s satisfaction, Rehval’s claims were well-founded.   He was by far stronger than any other Saiyan she had ever met, and as they fought among a mountain range in the southern hemisphere, they caused avalanches with every blow.  She was only using a fraction of her power against him, but that was nothing new to her.  The important thing was that Rehval required a larger fraction than most of her other opponents.

She had long fantasized about destroying King Rehval after a great battle, but that had been when she was under the impression that they were enemies.   As it turned out, her real foe had been his father, King Rehval II, who was already dead.  She had her sparring partner to thank for that.   Rehval III had killed his own father to purge Planet Saiya of his reign of madness.    Luffa didn’t entirely trust him, but her telepathic probing of his mind had revealed no deceit, and he had been nothing but friendly to her and Zatte since they arrived.  

After thinking about it for a while, she  decided that she simply didn’t like his personality.   He was a little _too_ friendly, and that bothered her.  Saiyans were supposed to be confrontational and defiant, but he was always so calm and eager to please.  Perhaps it was because he was so powerful that he could afford to be easygoing, but Luffa had trouble accepting that explanation.  She was even stronger, after all, and she was hardly what anyone would describe as "calm”.  

Part of it, she supposed, was Rehval’s position as King of the Saiyans, a title Luffa despised.  He wore a skin-tight blue unitard for their match, and the mere use of the Saiyan royal color was enough to irritate Luffa.   Saiyans were supposed to rule by strength, not with _colors_ or _pedigrees_.   But Rehval didn’t choose to be born into a royal family, and it didn’t seem fair to hold it against him.   Besides, he _had_ taken the throne by force, and he really _was_ stronger than his subjects, so maybe he wasn’t so far removed from Luffa’s political ideals.  It wasn’t like he was relying on a bloodline to prop up his regime.  And maybe he just liked the color blue.  

In any event, all of her reservations about the man seemed to fall away in the heat of battle.  Fighting was the universal language of their race.  Even if it was just a friendly sparring match, they could finally express their differences in combat.  Maybe he dressed and talked and acted like an alien statesman, but he still fought like a Saiyan, and that was really all that mattered.

“You’re good, Rehval,” Luffa said as she dodged one of his kicks.   “I didn’t think any other Saiyans could reach this level.”

His only response was to fire a _ki_ blast from his hands at pointblank range.   Luffa deflected this with ease, and fired back with a wave of her left hand.   A volley of small red spheres launched themselves from her fingers and arced through the air to follow Rehval as he tried to move away.  

To her surprise, he stopped in midair and let the tiny fireballs approach him.   He raised his hands, not to defend himself, but to create a _ki_ ball of his own.   When the two energies connected, he winced for a moment, and then his construct expanded, having successfully absorbed Luffa’s attack and making it part of his own.  He then transformed the globe of power into a beam of light, sending it back at his opponent.  

Luffa swung her arm at the oncoming energy wave to bat it aside, but just as her elbow was about to make contact, Rehval emerged from the beam and scored a heavy blow to her shoulder.  It wasn’t enough to really hurt Luffa, but the pain she felt was enough to remind her that he wasn’t holding back.  Even as she twisted around to kick him away, he was trying to follow up with a second punch to her chin.  

She smiled and allowed him to connect, but only because it would leave him wide open to a kick in the abdomen.   Maybe they weren’t enemies, but the sensation of her toes pushing into his gut was still extremely satisfying.

To his credit, Rehval was able to recover, but his calm demeanor was starting to give way to frustration.   As he moved away from Luffa to regroup, she alighted on a section of mountain that they had mostly leveled during their match.   He landed at a reasonable distance, clutching his stomach with one hand and watching her carefully.  

“Almost even,” Luffa said.  "This is great.“

"Even?” Rehval gasped.  "Your flattery is starting to sound like sarcasm, Luffa.“

"Well, I’m stronger, sure,” she said.   “But you’ve kept up really well.”

He shook his head.  "You haven’t even broken a sweat, and I’m sucking wind like a newborn in his first training session.“

"Don’t sell yourself short,” she said as she rubbed her chin.  "That last attack was pretty good, but I can tell you’re accustomed to finishing with it.   Otherwise, you wouldn’t have left yourself open to a counterattack.“

"I thought… I thought I could at least force you to transform,” Rehval panted.  

“Oh, was that what you wanted?” Luffa asked.   “Well all you had to do was ask.”

She clenched her fists and made a low, angry yell.   The ground shook beneath them, and then Luffa’s body flashed with yellow light.   Her hair and tail glowed the same color, while her once brown eyes were now a harsh green.

Rehval was suitably impressed.  "It’s not… it _can’t be_ …!“ was all he could say.  

"You think this is a trick, Rehval?” Luffa asked with a laugh.   “Are your senses that dull?!”

He took a step backward and lowered his guard.   “I knew it was true,” he said.   “The reports were hard to believe at first, but they were so _consistent_ that I knew there had to some truth to it… But now, seeing it up close like this.   I just can’t understand!  How can you be doing this?”

She turned her head as though looking off into the distance.   “You feel the energy of your subjects, don’t you?” she asked with a cold chuckle.   “They’re very jittery right now.  Something must have _frightened_ them.”

“I noticed,” he said.   “I should have prepared them for something like this before you arrived, but it wouldn’t have been enough…  Luffa, this power doesn’t make _sense_ –!”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” she scolded.  "You’re only confused because you never imagined a Saiyan could become this powerful.   When I was a child, _your_ strength might have frightened _me_ , but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t make _sense_.“

He regained his composure and nodded.   "You’re right, of course,” he said.  "Sorry.“

"Forget it,” Luffa said.   “If you think you’re shocked, imagine how I felt when I first experienced this from the inside.   Now, come attack me!”

But he didn’t.   His hesitation wasn’t terribly surprising, but she was still disappointed, as well as impatient.   Luffa had spent a lot of time learning to regulate her Super Saiyan form, to curb its aggression and appetite for battle, but this _was_ a sparring session, and she didn’t think he had asked to see her like this just to take a quick look.  

“Come on, let’s go!” she shouted.  

“I… I wouldn’t know where to begin,” he said anxiously.   “There’s no opening, even with your guard down…”

“So what?” Luffa growled.  "Do you only fight when you know you can win?   What sort of attitude is that?   Never mind, I’ll give you a free shot.   Just don’t hold anything back, okay?“

She had been giving him free shots the whole time, of course.  It was the only way to keep things from getting too dull for her.  Rehval must have known this, unless he was a complete idiot, and she doubted this.  Saying out loud that she was giving him a free shot was less about encouraging him and more about goading him.   If he really was a true Saiyan, his pride would overcome his fear any second now…

And then suddenly he charged straight for her.   Luffa was amused by the directness of the attack, and waited to see what he would do.  

To her surprise, he grabbed hold of her arms and kissed her on the lips.  

For a fraction of a second, she hesitated, unsure how to respond to this, and then she felt a surge of _ki_ energy coursing through her body like an electrical shock.   It wasn’t enough to hurt her, but it was unmistakably painful.  

With a growl, she swung out her arms and summoned more of her own _ki_ , knocking him away like a leaf in a hurricane.  He went limp as he crashed into the ground, then rolled to his feet and smiled.  

"What the hell was that?!” she demanded.  

“Sorry,” he said, although he didn’t look very contrite about it.   “You asked me to make it count, and I decided my best bet was to try something you wouldn’t expect.”

She wiped her mouth as she considered this.   Her face still tingled from his attack.   Her own power had blunted the full effect, but it would have been devastating against any other opponent.  And she _had_ given him a free shot.  

“You’ve got guts, Rehval,” Luffa finally said with a laugh.  "I’ll let this slide, but if you pull a stunt like that again, I’ll tear your limbs off.“

He breathed a sigh of relief.   "If I ever do try that again,” Rehval said, “I’ll deserve it.  Thanks for having a sense of humor about it.”

She powered down to her normal state and shrugged.   “When you get as strong as I am,” she said, “it changes your perspective on things.   If I destroyed everything that upset me, there wouldn’t be a whole lot left.   Let’s get something to eat.”

*******

* * *

Wildlife was somewhat uncommon on Planet Saiya.   The planet was inhospitable to begin with, and any big game would have been hunted to extinction by the Saiyans long ago.  The Rehval Dynasty had implemented policies to discourage hunting as part of a larger initiative to cultivate the Saiyan people into a civilized nation, but this was mostly a formality.  But Luffa was too resourceful and stubborn a hunter to let this stop her, and within an hour she had gathered enough small desert reptiles to make a decent meal for herself and the king.  

“If it’s all the same to you,” Rehval said, “I’d prefer to have dinner at the palace.”

Luffa glared at him over the fire she had built.   “Are you trying to tell me there’s something wrong with my cooking, Rehval?” she asked.  

“Not at all,” he said quickly.   “I only thought–”

She had carefully arranged a dozen branches near the fire, with several lizards impaled upon each one.   While they cooked, she had ripped apart one of them and began using a piece of its skull and one of its femurs as a crude mortar and pestle.   In this, she ground up a paste of marrow and blood gathered from the carcasses, as well as some plants she had gathered while hunting.   She stuck her finger into the mixture and tasted it.  

“I ate one of these when I arrived on the planet,” she said.   “I’ve been itching for a chance to try some things with them.   The sad thing is you’ve lived here your whole life, and I bet you’ve never even tasted one.”

“No, I haven’t,” he admitted.  

“So what happened to your tail?” Luffa asked.  

“I beg your pardon?”

She looked down at her work and carefully rotated some of the lizards so they would cook evenly.  "I’ve been trying to figure that out for a while.   At first I thought you lost it in battle, but now that we’ve fought a little, I doubt it.   Then I thought you might have gotten injured while hunting at an early age, but you’re not the hunting type, are you?“

"You could have just asked.   I had it removed,” Rehval said.  

“What?” Luffa gasped.  "Removed?!  You mean some kind of disease–?“

"Elective surgery,” Rehval explained.  "Don’t look so surprised, Luffa.  You’ve traveled around the galaxy.  I can’t believe I’m the first Saiyan you’ve met who cut off his own tail.“

He wasn’t the first, of course.  Her former husband, Kandai, had cut his tail off to keep anyone from finding out he was a Saiyan, which would help keep Luffa off his trail.   But she had found him anyway, which just made the lost tail seem even more pathetic to her.  And while Luffa hadn’t socialized with many Saiyans, she had encountered a few with missing tails, but she had thought it impolite to discuss it.  Now that she was being deliberately rude with Rehval, she realized that the real reason she had never asked was because she was afraid of the answer.

"Without it, you can’t–!” she began to protest.  

“I can’t transform into a giant ape.  Yes, I’m aware,” Rehval said.   “Do you really think I hadn’t considered that before I–?”  With a smile, he held up his hand and used his fingers to mimic a pair of scissors.  

While Luffa winced at this question, he pointed to the afternoon sky.  "Saiya’s moon takes over a year to complete its orbit.  On other planets, the orbital period is even longer, or the moon is too small to trigger the transformation.  How often have you used the form, Luffa?“

She didn’t answer.   Most of her adolescence was spent on the moonless world of Dorlu Prime.  When she became a Super Saiyan, she struggled to control the new form, and so she wore dark sunglasses whenever there was a full moon.  She had no idea what would happen if her body experienced both transformations at once, but she didn’t see any reason to tell Rehval this.

"That’s what I thought,” Rehval said, satisfied with her silence.  "You don’t need the Oozaru form, and I doubt it would have helped me close the gap between our powers.  Do you think I could have beaten the Shockmaster as a giant ape?   I know it doesn’t matter now that he’s dead, but I’m curious.“

She shook her head.  "You might have given him a little trouble, but I can’t see you beating him, even in that form.”

“What if I led an army of giant apes against him?”

Luffa considered this carefully.   “I like those odds better, but that’s a lot of big bodies trying to take on a very small target.   You’d just get in each other’s way, and Shocky could always destroy the moon.”

“And there you have it,” Rehval concluded.  "The Oozaru form is obsolete at best.  At worst, it’s an inconvenience.  You’re living proof that we Saiyans should find other ways to empower ourselves.“

"That’s crazy,” Luffa said.  "Look, I agree that the Oozaru form has a lot of drawbacks, but our tails are part of who we _are_.  Even if they don’t make us stronger, that’s no reason to just go chopping them off!“

"I had no idea you were such a traditionalist, Luffa,” Rehval said.  

She threw up her hands in frustration.  "Why does everyone act like I’m some sort of throwback?“ she asked.  

Rehval chuckled.  "Because you are,” he said.  "I’m sorry, it’s impolite of me to say so.  You don’t see yourself that way, but to the rest of the universe, you look like a Saiyan from the distant past.   You came here on a sophisticated starship  to this planet of advanced technology and abundant resources, and here you are roasting lizards over a campfire in the middle of the wilderness.   You’re working with crude bone tools, and your eyes keep darting side-to-side as if you expect an attack at any moment.“

"What’s so wrong about that?” Luffa asked.  There was a tinge of embarrassment in her defiant tone.  

“That’s the best part,” Rehval said.   “You honestly expect every other Saiyan to live the same way you do.   It’s like you were plucked out of some bygone age.   Even your powers are a callback to the days of the old heroes.”

“Are you mocking me, Rehval?” Luffa asked grimly.  

“Not at all,” Rehval said.  "As a matter of fact, I find it all very charming.   Beautiful, if you don’t mind me saying so.“

Bewildered, she stared at him for a full minute, once again unsure how to react.   Then she noticed one of her branches was beginning to droop too close to the fire, and with some relief, she turned her attention back to the meal.  

**NEXT: Outside Partner.**


	84. Chapter 84

_**[13 May 234 Before Age.  Planet Saiya.]** _

In spite of a lifetime of hardships and tragedies, Zatte was an optimist at heart.  

Her people, the Dorluns, lived by a survivalist ethic, shunning conflict and unnecessary risk wherever possible, but Zatte viewed danger as a healthy motivator.  Her home colony had been destroyed, but _she_ still lived, and she could still make a difference in the universe.   She had lost her right eye in that catastrophe, but she still had her left.   The vile Makyans had twisted her mind and turned her into an agent of evil, but she had learned valuable skills during that ordeal, and now she was free to use those skills for what was right.  Her wife was a warrior of immense power and mercurial temperament, but Zatte believed her to be an instrument of Providence itself.  

It was this belief that brought Zatte to the Planet Saiya, where she found herself in charge of a manhunt for a mysterious killer.  Most Dorluns would have avoided Saiya simply because its people were brutal killers themselves.  Anything able to hunt them down must have been an even greater threat, and yet Zatte had placed herself in the middle of this conflict.  

“Don’t see why you’d stick your neck out over a situation like this, Blue Woman,” said a Saiyan man whose face seemed to be frozen in a perpetual sneer.  He dropped a pile of papers and computer tablets onto Zatte’s desk.   “But it’s not up to me, and if King Rehval wants _you_ to handle this, I’ll play along.”

Zatte looked up at her and smiled pleasantly.   “Thanks, Wakam,” she said.  "I’ll try not to bother you any more today.“

Wakam didn’t seem to like Zatte very much, but he was easier to deal with than the rest of Finule’s staff, and so Zatte usually called on him whenever she needed access to records.  She would have contacted Finule herself, but she hadn’t seen the spindly security head since their first meeting three days ago.  Zatte assumed she was busy with other duties.

What Wakam didn’t know was that the killer was a Dorlun, like Zatte, and so she felt a personal obligation to track down the murderer, if only to learn how and why he had gone rogue.  Furthermore, she believed that her wife Luffa was important to the grand design of the universe.  The reason Dorluns struggled to survive was so that they could  find and support such sacred people and things when they appeared.   Zatte had convinced Luffa to return to her homeworld and reconcile with her people for just that reason.   It seemed to her that if a Saiyan was destined to shape the course of history in some way, it would be best if she had the support of her own species.  Helping Luffa rescue the Saiyans from a dangerous enemy seemed like a good way to make that happen.    

Zatte was no detective, but she didn’t need to be.  The enemy used a toxin derived from Dorlun proteins to kill his victims, including the last alien investigator Rehval had brought in to solve the case.  The plan was that if Zatte took over the investigation, the killer would try the same thing on her, except Zatte was immune to the toxin, and probably strong enough to defeat the killer in a fair fight.  So as long as she kept up appearances and _seemed_ to be hunting the killer, that would be enough to bait the trap.  

However, Zatte wasn’t the type to just sit and wait.  She didn’t know how to fake an investigation any more than she knew how to do a real one, so it seemed to her that the most convincing performance would be a genuine effort.  She immersed herself in the work, relying on the same dedication she had applied to her career as a soldier.  She would find the answers she needed, eventually.

Six hours later, a small chirp came from her handheld communicator, reminding her of the alarm she had set.  

"Nineteen hundred hours already?” she asked, double-checking the clock on the wall.  She felt like she had only just started.  For a moment, she was tempted to keep working and make up some excuse, but she decided against it.   As much as she hated to stop now, she wanted to be there for what happened next.  

*******

* * *

“You’re late.”

“Sorry, I got sidetracked, and the dress took longer to put on than I expected.”  Zatte held up her hands, which were covered in green gloves that went up past her elbows.  "Honestly, these gloves gave me more trouble than the hoop skirt.“

"You look good,” Luffa said.  Like Zatte, she was dressed in an elaborate gown of similar fashion, though hers was a pale yellow, with a  square neckline that exposed an old scar on Luffa’s clavicle that was one of Zatte’s personal favorites.  When she stepped closer, Zatte could tell from the sound of her footsteps that she was still wearing her usual combat boots beneath the voluminous skirt.  

“You too,” Zatte said.   “Does King Rehval just keep a bunch of dresses handy for guests?”

“Apparently,” Luffa said with a shrug.  "He said something about ‘smart fabric’ that adjusts itself to fit without tailoring, but I didn’t pay much attention.“

The ball had been underway for half an hour, and so the other guests paid little attention to Zatte’s arrival, or to Luffa when she went to greet her.  On most planets, Luffa tended to draw a lot of attention, even when she wasn’t using her Super Saiyan form, but among her own kind she was just another face in the crowd.   Her savage countenance and warrior physique were the norm on Planet Saiya.  Together, they paced around the edge of the ballroom, watching various dignitaries dance.   Whenever a waiter walked by with hors d'oeuvres, Luffa would flag them down and take some.  

"Any luck on your end?” Luffa asked.  

“Some,” Zatte replied.  "I’m trying to work out how our 'friend’ arranged transportation to the planet.  There’s a good chance he stole a ship, and might be using it as a base of operations.“

"What makes you say that?” Luffa asked.  

“It’s what I would do,” Zatte said.  "You keep saying I’m the strongest of my kind, but I’m still struggling with the higher gravity of this planet, which means our 'friend’ probably has it even worse than I do.  He must have some way to deal with it while he stalks his victims, but I bet he’s using artificial gravity units wherever he sleeps.“

"You’re doing great, by the way,” Luffa said.  "That dress is barely slowing you down at all.“      

Zatte was doing terribly, in point of fact.  The dress felt like it was made of lead, but the weight of it wouldn’t have been so bad except for the fact that it was so _big_.  The gown went all the way down to the floor, covering an area at least three feet in diameter, which made it difficult to maneuver.  Her muscles were already stiff and sore just from wearing her usual clothing to get around on the planet, but the dress threatened to push her past the point of exhaustion.   Nonetheless, Luffa’s praise, and the proud smile that went with it, made it all worthwhile.

"What’s the deal with these events, anyway?” Zatte said.   “I never pictured Saiyans holding formal dances.   Rehval’s more cosmopolitan than most Saiyans, sure, but he just held one of these a few days ago, right?”

“It’s just a way for him to show off,” Luffa said.  "Or maybe he just really likes _balls_.“

She started to laugh at her own joke, loudly enough that several of the other guests began to look at her with annoyance.  Zatte smiled awkwardly and waited for Luffa to settle down.  She’d noticed that Luffa was more provocative on Saiya than she’d been anywhere else.  Zatte recalled a formal dinner on a Federation planet where Luffa had been downright shy and reserved.  Her manners were never ideal, but she always respected the occasion and the host in her own way.  Here, she seemed to be begging someone to confront her, confident that no one would.

"There you are, Zatte!  I was afraid you wouldn’t be able to make it, but I see now why Luffa is in such a good mood.”

They turned to find King Rehval walking towards them, the crowd of guests stepping aside to clear the way.  As usual, he was dressed in a well-tailored suit, although this one seemed even more formal than the ones he normally wore.  It reminded Zatte of the tuxedo she had worn to her wedding, although the Saiyan king’s was adorned with badges and ribbons on the breast, and the fabric was a royal blue instead of black.  

Luffa eyed him skeptically, but she didn’t seem as hostile towards him as she had been before.   Zatte hoped that this was a good sign.   Their plan to flush out the killer depended on the two of them getting along.  She had come to this ball to play peacemaker if necessary.

“Your Majesty,” Zatte said with a respectful nod.  Zatte was prepared to show greater respect to Rehval, but she held back out of consideration for Luffa’s disdain for the Saiyan monarchy.  She wasn’t sure either of them cared how she greeted the king, but she was determined not to exacerbate the tension between them.

“I trust you’re settling into your new position,” Rehval said as he returned the nod.  

“Very well, Sire,” she said.  "Your staff has been very helpful.  Especially Wakam.“

"Which is a very nice way of saying she’s the least difficult of the bunch,” Rehval replied.  "Please bear with them, Zatte.  I’ve managed to adapt Saiyans to a number of non-combat jobs, but administration is a challenge for the best of us.“  

"No, really,” Zatte said.  "I found them to be very professional.“ She glanced toward Luffa and added: "But I’m used to dealing with difficult Saiyans by now.”

Luffa smirked at that, and Zatte was pleased to see that Rehval enjoyed her remark as well.  That was the key.   _Get them on the same page.  Build some common ground.  If Luffa could get along with the king, then his subjects wouldn’t be far behind._  

“You have my respect, Zatte,” Rehval said.  "I respect any alien with the courage to wed a Saiyan, but you…!  Well, now that I’ve seen Luffa’s transformed state for myself… well, I–“

He was speechless after that.  Zatte had felt the massive _ki_ energy from their sparring match, so none of this was a surprise to her.   "So how’d he do?” Zatte asked Luffa.

“Well enough,” Luffa said.  "With the two of us working together, I think we can locate our 'friend’.“

"You never know,” Zatte said.  "I might track him down first.“

"Is that a challenge, Zatte?” Rehval asked, having finally found his voice.  

“Just a little extra motivation,” Zatte said.  She’d learned a long time ago that Luffa was a sucker for competition.   Naturally, this applied to fighting and training, but it also extended to ordinary things like household chores, footrubs, medical examinations, and so on.  The funny thing was that Luffa was fully aware of this, yet she let herself be manipulated anyway.   If you could turn it into a game, Luffa would play.   And from the look on Rehval’s face, the same was true for him as well.

“Would either of you care to dance?” Rehval suddenly asked.  

When neither woman responded, he waved his hand to the open area behind him, where several couples were shuffling along the floor.  

“I came over to ask you, Luffa, since you’re the guest of honor tonight,” he said, but since Zatte is here, I’ll defer to her.  I’m sure your species has some interesting techniques.“

Zatte smiled and tried not to think about how much her feet hurt already.  "I’ll be honest, Sire, I’m still not used to the gravity here.   It’ll be a while before I can move well enough for dancing.”

“Of course.  How thoughtless of me.   Another time then.”

“Sure,” Zatte said.   “Why don’t you and Luffa go ahead?”

Luffa looked at her as if Zatte had suggested she eat her own tail.  "Me?“ she asked.  

"Why not?” Zatte asked.  

“Because I can’t dance,” Luffa said.

“You did fine at our wedding,” Zatte said.  

“Because I hovered an inch off the ground and let you push me like a shuffleboard disc,” Luffa said.

“Well let King Rehval do that, then,” Zatte said.  "Or let him show you some moves.  You’ve always said you wanted to learn.“

Luffa looked at him and bit her lower lip.  For his part, Rehval seemed quite pleased with Zatte’s suggestion.  

"I’d be honored to teach what little I know,” Rehval said.  "Though I’m sure before long, you’ll be giving me lessons, Luffa.“

"I don’t… I mean… My wife wouldn’t…”

“Yes she would, because it’s my idea!” Zatte insisted.  "Have fun.   I’ll be watching from someplace where there’s a chair.“

Luffa hesitated, and when she finally did follow Rehval onto the dance floor, she kept looking back at Zatte like a prisoner being led to execution.  But Luffa did go along, and that was the important thing.  

Zatte waved to her, then began plotting how to sit down in a hoop skirt.  It was probably a lost cause.   Rehval might not have cared if she damaged the dress, but Zatte liked it enough to want to keep it in tact.   Her feet would just have to hold out a while longer.  

Besides, she would have had difficulty watching Luffa from a sitting position.   A crowd had formed around them as they moved across the floor.   Zatte wasn’t too surprised, given their celebrity.  Most of the guests were elite Saiyans and diplomats from planets with close ties to the Saiyan kingdom.   All of them were curious to know who the Super Saiyan was and how King Rehval planned to deal with her.   Everyone on the planet must have sensed the titanic energies released during their sparring match.   It was important to show them that the two most powerful Saiyans had more in mind than just beating each other’s brains out.  They could get along.  They could work together.   They could achieve great things.  

As Rehval predicted, Luffa’s movements on the floor were awkward and unsteady at first, but she adapted quickly.   Zatte doubted that Luffa would become an expert anytime soon, but this was social dancing, after all.  No one in the hall was especially skilled at this either.  

The important thing was that things were going well, and Luffa even seemed to be enjoying herself towards the end.  Zatte’s feet ached, but she smiled in spite of them.  She would have worn a thousand leaden dresses to see this.

*******

* * *

Finule had been invited to Rehval’s ball, but she didn’t bother going.  The king held many formal events, and he issued perfunctory invitations to most of the higher ranking officials in his administration.  She had gone to a few when she first arrived on Planet Saiya, but quickly learned that she hated the whole experience, and that attendance was neither mandatory nor important to advancing her career.  So she stopped going, and no one seemed to miss her.

Instead, she returned to her homestead on the other side of the planet.  There, she had a simple house and a rudimentary garden.  Most importantly, she had her garage, where she spent all her free time tinkering with her car.  It was a hobby she had picked up while living in the Atoyot Sector.  Motor vehicles were useless to someone like her who could fly, but she was fascinated with the mechanical aspects, and found it relaxing to study the intricacies of the engine.  As far as she knew, no other Saiyans had any interest in fixing up motor vehicles, and that suited her just fine.  She preferred the solitude her garage afforded her.

But as she lay beneath the car and worked, she found that she couldn’t quite let go of the stresses of the workday.  Having a regular job was strange enough for her, but it might have been tolerable if she wasn’t working for such fools.

She despised King Rehval.  Finule had come to Planet Saiya because she had heard good things about the prosperity and stability of the Saiyan Kingdom, and because she envied other species she had encountered who were able to live among their own kind.  But she found the king’s governance to be a joke.  He had tried to combine Saiyan customs with alien statecraft and ended up with the worst of each.

She had tried not to speak out against the regime too much, but it was difficult not to let her frustration slip from time to time.  Saiyans weren’t known for exercising discretion.  Between that, the Saiyan-killer crisis, and the Legendary Super Saiyan’s visit, it was a wonder she hadn’t had a nervous breakdown.

Finule had heard rumors that the Super Saiyan might overthrow Rehval, but she’d also heard rumors that Luffa was working for him.  That the Super Saiyan had been on the planet for several days seemed to prove that she wasn’t here for a coup.  Finule wasn’t entirely surprised.  If the Super Saiyan wanted the throne she could have taken it a long time ago.  And there was no guarantee that Luffa’s rule would be an improvement.

At last, she decided that working on her car wasn’t helping her mood, and so she decided the best thing to do was to take it out for a drive.  Finule wasn’t very experienced with actually driving her car, but that didn’t matter much on Planet Saiya, where one could travel for hundreds of miles without encountering a soul.  She would just pick up the car, fly it to a salt flat she had used in the past, and joyride until she ran out of fuel.

The vehicle weighed four tons on the planet of manufacture, but under Planet Saiya’s higher gravity, that weight was multiplied to _forty_ tons.  This was more than Finule could lift, and enough to crush the car under its own weight, but she had installed artifical-gravity units from an old spacecraft, which reduced its weight to what it was designed for.  Carefully, she tilted the car sideways until she could get under it and rest it on her back.  It was then that she noticed it felt a little heavier than usual in the rear.

Setting the car down, she checked the trunk, and recoiled in horror when she saw the dead body inside.

Judging by the uniform he wore, it was an senior officer in the Saiyan Royal Army.  His tail had been removed, but otherwise there was no obvious sign of a wound.

Finule forced herself to calm down, and resigned herself to her fate.  She would have to inform the authorities.  Rehval’s investigator and General Ratijio and whoever else.  Someone would probably want to impound her vehicle as evidence.

She sighed and muttered obscenities to herself as she searched for her communicator.

*******

* * *

Hours later, Zatte was in her cabin aboard the _Emerald Eye_.   The lighter gravity aboard Luffa’s star-yacht was a tremendous relief, but she took the extra measure of changing into her pajamas and putting on some music.   She had resumed her research into the killer’s victims, planning to work until she was relaxed enough to sleep.   But once she got underway, she forgot about her bed altogether.  

"Didn’t think you’d still be up,” Luffa said as she entered the cabin.  

“Hey,” Zatte said without turning around from her desk.  "Trouble sleeping?“

Luffa climbed into the bed and sighed.  "Maybe we need to rethink our plan.”

“What’s wrong?” Zatte asked.  

“I just don’t know about Rehval,” Luffa said.  "Maybe it’d be better if I tried to handle it without him.“

Zatte shook her head.   "You were the one who told me you needed help,” she said.  "Do you think you can do it alone?“

"No, but…”

“You two seemed to get along okay tonight,” Zatte said.

“Sorry about that,” Luffa said.  

“About what?” Zatte asked.  "Learning how to dance?“

"You really didn’t mind?” Luffa asked.  "I mean, I know you want us to work together, but he had his hands on me the whole time.“

"Luffa, that’s how dancing works,” Zatte said.  "It’s not like he was grabbing your butt the whole time.“

"He kissed me,” Luffa said.  

“Yeah?”

“Not tonight, I mean, yesterday, when we sparred,” Luffa said.  "I gave him a free shot, just to see what he’d do, and–“

Zatte turned around and her eyes went wide.  "You’re kidding!” she said with a laugh.   “Oh, I wish I’d been there to see the look on your face.”

“You’re not mad?” Luffa asked.  

“Why would I be?” Zatte asked.  "Dorluns kiss each other all the time.  I never tried to win a fight that way, but I guess you Saiyans have to weaponize _everything_ …“

Luffa could be surprisingly fragile sometimes.   So much was riding on their efforts here, and yet Luffa still found time to worry about their relationship.  It was sweet, in a dopey sort of way.  

At one time, they would have resolved this by using Luffa’s telepathic power to link their minds, and Zatte would have shown her that she trusted her implicitly.   Dorluns viewed marriage as a sacred trust, and not something so easily shattered by a kiss or a dance with an outsider.  Jealousy was a distraction, and Zatte refused to let it interfere with her work.  

But telepathic reassurances had caused more problems than it had solved in their marriage, and they had agreed to stop using it as a crutch.    What was needed was honest, open communication, and understanding.  

"Listen,” Zatte said.  "He’s an unusual guy, but I’ve seen his type before.  He’s trying to show off how familiar he is with other cultures, including ones that are more affectionate and touchy-feely than the Saiyans.  And he’s probably trying to rattle you a little.  You want my advice?“

"Yeah,” Luffa said.  

“Give it right back to him,” she said.  "Show him it doesn’t get to you.“

"Are you serious?!” Luffa asked.  

“Absolutely,” Zatte said.  "I mean, don’t do it if you don’t want to, but if he’s trying to mess with you, it’ll show him you’re impervious to his charms.“

"You’re sure you’re okay with this?” Luffa asked.  

Zatte turned back to her desk and waved her hand.  "Of course!“ she said.  "There’s lives at stake, and we need King Rehval’s help.   Everything else is a distraction until we get this settled.  After this is all over, we’ll look back on it and laugh.”

With that, she returned to her work, hoping to let Luffa get some peace and quiet.   It frustrated Zatte that she couldn’t do more to help her wife sleep better.   Sometimes Luffa did better sleeping alone in the gym, and other times she felt more at ease in Zatte’s cabin, and sometimes nothing seemed to calm her.   Normally, she would have lain down beside her and held her for a while, but she couldn’t spare the time.  If there was even a chance that the spaceport logs could shed some light on the killer’s whereabouts, then she owed it to Luffa to keep going.   Maybe the answer would be in the next file, or the next, or the one after that…

An hour later, she head Luffa get up from the bed and excuse herself as she went back to her usual sleeping spot in the gymnasium.  

Twenty minutes after that, Zatte finally noticed she had left.  

*******

* * *

_**[14 May 234 Before Age.  Planet Saiya.]** _

“Nice view,” Luffa said.

“You really have a talent for understatement,” Rehval said.  "Most people, when they see holovids of my villa, are awestruck.  They go on about the rolling plains, the way the sunrise highlights the classical architecture of the manor.  One visitor actually complimented that fence in the foreground.  'Rustic charm,’ I think he said.“

Luffa stared down at the holographic fence and shrugged.  "Looks halfway sturdy, I guess.”

“Well, if that’s the best compliment I can get out of the mighty Luffa, I’ll take it,” Rehval said.

The two of them had spent all morning practicing Luffa’s technique and discussing ways to improve up on it.   At last, Rehval insisted they stop for brunch at his palace.   After a leisurely meal, he began to show her around the residential suites, where he kept many of his most treasured possessions.   The villa was on another planet, however, and so Rehval had to settle for a holographic projector that could display the estate in miniature.

“What do you expect, Rehval?” Luffa asked.  "I’m a Saiyan.  What do I care about landscaping?“

"I’ve shown this to other Saiyans, and _they_ appreciated it,” Rehval countered.

“They were just kissing your ass, then,” Luffa grumbled.  "I hope you didn’t promote them for it.“

"I’m a Saiyan, and _I_ appreciate the look of the place,” Rehval said.

“Because it’s yours,” Luffa said.  "And you’re a weird one anyway.    What kind of Saiyan owns a _villa_?“

"The same kind that owns a yacht?” Rehval replied.

“It’s transportation,” Luffa said.

“And so is this,” Rehval said as he gestured to the hologram.  "I’m the king of the Saiyans, and leading Saiyans is a difficult job in the best of times.  The villa is a place I can go to refresh myself.  To prepare for the challenges that lie ahead.  It’s an escape.  Maybe it’s fancier and more luxurious than it needs to be, but I have to project an air of authority, don’t I?“

Luffa had nothing to say to that, other than a disinterested grunt.

"I thought your wife would be joining us,” Rehval said.

“She’s busy with the investigation,” Luffa said.

“So are we,” Rehval said.  "That’s why I scheduled a break.    Her people need rest too, don’t they?“

"The ones I’ve known were all very diligent,” Luffa said.  "And she’s more driven than most.  She’s determined to see this through.“

"Almost Saiyan, in that respect,” Rehval said.

“You’d think that,” Luffa said.  "Sometimes it’s easy to think of her as a blue Saiyan with red hair, but every once in a while I remember how… cold she can be.“

"I take it she doesn’t like to fight,” Rehval said, anticipating Luffa’s complaint.

“Oh, she’s good at it,” Luffa said.  "You should see her in action.  She just–“

"She’s not as into it as you’d like her to be,” Rehval said.  "I hear the same thing from a lot of my subjects who married aliens.“

"We make it work,” Luffa said as she crossed her arms.

“Naturally,” he said.  "She’s a remarkable woman.“

"Glad you approve,” Luffa said.

“I envy her,” Rehval added.

Luffa stared at him.  "What are you–?“

"Oh, come on, Luffa,” Rehval said.  "Am I supposed to be embarrassed to admit that I’m attracted to you?  You already found that out when you read my mind.“

She blushed.  "Yeah, but… Well, that’s still no reason to go say it out loud!”

“Why not?” he asked with a carefree grin.

She couldn’t believe he was asking this.   She had scoured his mind to make certain that he wasn’t an enemy, only to find that he had a crush on her instead.  It was the telepathic equivalent of walking in on someone while they were using the restroom.  She had planned to ignore it, and pretend that she hadn’t touched that part of his mind.   This was to spare him the embarrassment, but apparently he didn’t see the point.  “ _Why not?”_   .

“Because you’re just humiliating yourself!” Luffa protested.  "Where’s your Saiyan pride?“

He laughed.  "I’m the king, Luffa.  I’m the strongest Saiyan alive– Sorry, force of habit.   I’m the _second_ strongest.  Why should I be ashamed of my own feelings?”

She didn’t have an answer.  "I didn’t mean to expose your secrets,“ she said.  "I only read your mind to see if you were telling me the truth about your father.”

“I know,” he said.  "And I told you I had nothing to hide from you.  I was telling the truth about that, too.“

She turned away from him.  "Why would you _want_ me to know that?” she asked.

“Because I’m not ashamed of my emotions,” he said.  "Other Saiyans might see it as a vulnerability, but I don’t.  Honestly, I’m surprised you have the same attitude.“

She shook her head.  "I’m _married_ ,” she insisted.

“I know,” he said.  "I don’t expect you to reciprocate, Luffa.  It’s just one of those things.“

He approached her and placed his hands on her shoulders.  "I hope we’ll be allies in the future, hopefully good friends, but I’ll always think of you as the one the got away.  It’s the truth, so why hide from it?”

She didn’t respond at first.  Then, just as he removed his hands, she spun around and grabbed him by his hair.  Before he could even register what was happening, she pressed her lips against his, and channeled a current of _ki_ energy across their kiss.  He convulsed in her arms, and then she shoved him away.  Rehval managed one step backward before he collapsed on the ground.  Thin trails of smoke wafted up from his hair and eyebrows.

“Don’t get the wrong idea,” Luffa said.  "I just wanted to try out that technique you used on _me_ the other day.  What do you think?“

Rehval looked up at her as he struggled to catch his breath.  "I… I’d say you’ve mastered it,” he gasped.

“Good,” Luffa said.  "Now we’re even.  I think we’ve lounged around her long enough.  Let’s get back to _work_.“

She took off into the sky, not bothering to wait for Rehval to follow.  

Had she bothered to look back at him, she might have noticed a satisfied smile on his lips…

**NEXT: Ambivalence**


	85. Chapter 85

**_[17 May 234 Before Age.   Planet Saiya.]_ **

“With all due respect, my Lord, I _must_ know how you plan to address this crisis!”

The request was not unexpected, nor was the man who made it.  Ratijio was the the top general in the Royal Saiyan Army.  Three nights ago, while King Rehval III was entertaining guests in the ballroom of his palatial citadel, the mysterious Saiyan-hunter had struck again, killing one of Ratijio’s officers.   On the following morning, two more Saiyan bodies had been discovered elsewhere.  They had been murdered in the same way, but in a remote wilderness, far enough from civilzation that it took days for anyone to find them.  It meant that the killer was much more active on Planet Saiya than anyone had guessed.   That was enough for the general to request an audience with his king.  Rehval granted it, and the Saiyan King now sat at a desk in his office while Ratijio paced in a tight circle.

“I’ve known about the killer for some time, General,” Rehval said patiently.  "The case has been classified to prevent a panic.“

” _Classified?!_  From your own military?“ the general shouted.  

"We’re a warrior race, General.   The line between Saiyan soldiers and Saiyan civilians is practically nonexistent,” Rehval said.   “The last thing we need are a bunch of Saiyans trying to deal with the killer themselves.   They’ll form vigilante groups, accuse one another, and the killer will use the chaos to take even more lives.”  He raised an eyebrow as he pointedly added: “I’m depending on you to keep this to yourself, Ratijio.”

“You’re as secretive as your father!” Ratijio grumbled.   “Fine, I’ll do as you ask.  But if dead bodies keep turning up at this rate, the whole planet will know!”

“I’m going to resolve this matter before it comes to that,” Rehval said evenly.   “That’s why I asked Luffa to join us for this discussion.”

He gestured to the woman standing beside his desk.   She was dressed in a black sleeveless shirt tucked into a pair of loose-fitting yellow pants.   By the fashion trends of Planet Saiya, her costume could only be described as an eyesore, but from the defiant look in her eyes and way she crossed her arms over chest, Ratijio could tell the woman cared very little what other people thought of her raiment.

“Luffa?!” the general asked.   “That’s the name of that ‘Super Saiyan’, isn’t it?”   He walked up to her and took a closer look.  

“That’s me,” she said.  

“Ridiculous!” he growled.   “Everyone knows Luffa’s an alien _disguised_ as a Saiyan.   A Saiyan _man_ , at that.”

“I sparred with her, general,” Rehval said.  "So I can assure you she is who she claims to be.   Surely you sensed the enormous _ki_ she was using on that day.“

Ratijio looked back at Rehval, and when he turned to face Luffa again, the general’s expression was much more distressed.   Of course he had felt that titanic energy.   _Everyone on the planet_ had felt it.  And he had heard that the Super Saiyan had come to Saiya at the King’s invitation, and yet…!

” _Well?_  Do you believe him?“ Luffa asked.   "Or are you going to lecture me on how a _woman_ could never put out that much power?  Because I go through this routine with every other Saiyan I meet, and it’s kind of old.    But if you insist, I’ll have to make an _example_ out of you…”

For a moment, Rattajio was conflicted, caught between the word of his sovereign and his outrage at Luffa’s insolence.   At last he chose to back down.  

“Smart boy,” Luffa said with a smirk.  “I can see how you got to be a general.”

“You brought… _her_ … to Planet Saiya?” he asked Rehval.  

“Forget the rumors, General,” Rehval said.  "She’s a genuine, full-blooded Saiyan, which means she has as much of a stake in this case as the rest of us.  And she’s encountered beings like this Saiyan-killer before.“

"Most of them are very peaceful,” Luffa explained.  "I don’t know why this one declared war on us, but if he’s as resourceful as the ones I’ve met, it’s no surprise that he’s managed to move around the planet so freely without being caught.  He’s using a poison to kill his victims, so he must be suppressing his _ki_ so we won’t be able to sense his movements.“

"Then what can _you_ do about him?” Ratajio demanded.  

“I’m a mercenary by trade, general,” Luffa explained.  "Some jobs, I had to find people who didn’t _want_ to be found, which is kind of tough for a glow-in-the-dark celebrity like me.   So I started developing a technique for flushing them out.“

She held out her hand and a tiny globe of yellow energy coalesced over her outstretched palm.   She curled her fingers slightly, and the globe diffused into something more like a golden cloud.

"Touch it,” Luffa said.   “Go ahead, it won’t hurt you.”

Ratijio did as she said, but only after looking to Rehval first.  Once he nodded, Ratijio carefully waved one of his fingers through the cloud.  He felt nothing, but he could see what looked like tiny sparkles on his fingertip.“

"I’ve infused you with a little bit of my own _ki_ ,” Luffa said.  "The effect is only temporary, but until it wears off, I can track you down anywhere on the planet.  Even if you suppress your own _ki_ , I can still sense mine.“

"What if the killer has some way to hide _ki_ powers?”  Radijio asked.  "These sparkles of yours would vanish along with him.“

Luffa nodded.  "That’s true, but I can also sense where you disturbed the cloud in my hand,” she explained.   “Let’s say I made a cloud big enough to fill this entire room.  Everyone in here would have no way to avoid touching it.  Even if you had a way to make _ki_ energy undetectable, it would be like a dark spot on the surface of a star.  Your own smokescreen would give you away.”

“But the killer isn’t going to stay in one place while you search the planet,” Radijio said.

Luffa grinned.  "You’re right, which is why I’ll need to cover the entire planet with this stuff.  The trouble is that I’ve never attempted this trick at that kind of scale before.  I’ve got the raw power for it, but I’m not sure I can control it by myself.   That’s why I’m training Rehval here to assist me.“

"And while I’m busy with that, General,” Rehval said, “I need you to maintain order on the planet.   The ministers can run the government while Luffa and I are working, but if any more bodies are discovered, I want you to see that they’re handled discretely.  Is that clear?”

Ratijio didn’t seem to relish his new orders, or the thought of Rehval working so closely with Luffa, but he was in no position to object.   Once Rehval dismissed him, he looked back at Luffa on more time before he left.  

*******

* * *

“I apologize,” Rehval said as he got up from his desk.   “The general is normally more professional than that.”

“Skip it,” Luffa said.  "I tend to have that effect on Saiyans.   Like I said, it’s an old routine, and I’ve gotten a lot worse from others in the past.“

Rehval nodded at Luffa, then started to pace around the room.  "That has to change,” he said.

“What?  You’re going to issue a _royal proclamation_ , commanding everyone to be nice to me?” Luffa asked.  "Get real, Rehval.  You can dress up in blue and call yourself the king, you can even get most of our race to bow down and tell you what you want to hear, but you can’t control what your subjects _think_.“

"A good leader should be able to guide his followers away from dangerous ideas,” Rehval countered.   “It’s not about controlling them, Luffa.  It’s about setting a higher standard.”

“You can’t fight their nature,” Luffa countered.   “Our people believe that Saiyan hair never changes from the day we’re born.   But mine changes color, so that makes me a freak to them.  Hell, even _I_ still haven’t gotten used to the way it looks.   I can’t blame anyone else for thinking it’s creepy.   It’s just how we are.”

“Do you really think that’s an immutable aspect of the Saiyan mind?” Rehval asked.   “That we’re hardwired to be eternally terrified of a few blonde hairs, and nothing and no one can change that?”

“I think all of us are _right_ to be afraid of what I’ve become,” Luffa said.   “It’s instinct.   The same instinct that warns us not to eat things that smell bad.  But there’s always _someone_ who tries to resist it, because he’s too proud to admit that there are _some_ forces beyond his control.”

“You think that’s why I’m attracted to you?” Rehval asked.  He stopped pacing and took a step towards her.   “Because I don’t want to admit to being afraid of you?”

“I think you kissed me to throw me off-balance,” Luffa said.  

“Then why did you kiss me back?” Rehval asked.  

“To show you that it didn’t work.”

“Well, what if I’m not convinced?” Rehval asked.  He crossed his arms and made a playful smile.   “Are you going to keep kissing me until you prove your point?”

“Do you think _I’m_ afraid of a _kiss_?!” Luffa asked.  

“No, but you _are_ afraid,” he said.   “You’re afraid of your feelings.  You’re afraid of your hair.   You’re afraid that I’m not afraid of you.”

 _“Are you calling me a coward?”_ Luffa demanded.  

“Not at all,” Rehval said.   He was standing right in front of her now, looking her squarely in the eye.   “I think it bothers you that I don’t fit into your narrow view of what a Saiyan should be.   I respect you and admire you, in spite of our differences, but I don’t _fear_ you, and that makes you suspicious.”

“Why should I suspect you of anything, Rehval?” Luffa asked.   “I don’t have much use for kings, but you’re not plotting against me.   I read your mind.”

“Then you should know that I didn’t kiss you to throw you off-balance,” Rehval said.  

“Then why _did_ you?!” she asked.

“Because the sight of you and the feeling of the power radiating from your body excited me in a way I’ve never felt before,” Rehval said.  "I did it because if I didn’t, I knew I’d regret it for the rest of my life.  I did it–” he paused to chuckle to himself– “because I knew you’d _never_ let me do it again.“

Luffa grabbed him by the front of his suitcoat.   "Well, that’s where you’re wrong!” she shouted.   Then she pulled him closer until his lips met her own.  

About a minute later, she relaxed her grip on him, just enough for him to pull back and see the excited look in her eyes.  

“Wh-what about your wife?” he asked.  

“It’s fine,” Luffa said.  "Her people kiss all the time.   It’s not a big deal to them.“

"They… they must be a very enlightened culture,” Rehval said.

For a long moment, the two of them stood transfixed in each other’s arms, the air between them growing hot from their breath.

And then the doorknob clicked, and General Ratajio walked back into the room.  

“Forgive me, Your Majesty,” he said, “but I forgot my hat–”

He had managed to take one step towards the coat rack before he noticed what they were doing.   Luffa and Rehval noticed him at the same time, and for another long moment, the _three_ of them stood transfixed, unsure how to break the awkward silence.  

At last, the general simply took his hat and backed out of the room as quickly and as discreetly as he possibly could, acting more on frightened impulse than conscious thought.

Once he was out of the room, and the door was closed again, Luffa and Rehval finally looked at each other again.    

She shoved him to the desk and propped one of her knees on the desktop as she leaned in to continue.   Soon enough, Rehval got accustomed with what she was doing, and he put his hands on her waist.  

Dissatisfied with this, Luffa pulled one of his hands away and planted it on her thigh instead.  

*******

Aboard Luffa’s star-yacht, the _Emerald Eye_ , Zatte was in the dining room, telling Arracash about the progress of her investigation.  

“What was holding me back was that I kept thinking about the killer as a Dorlun.  I was looking for a motive that I could relate to.  And maybe there _is_ one, but I won’t figure that out anytime soon.”

“Uh-huh,” Arracash said.  The old Saiyan had already finished her breakfast and was looking down at her bowl while she idly scraped the sides with her spoon.

“So I started focusing on the victims’ motivations instead.   What was on their minds before they got killed?   Of course, the ones who died in space were all mercenaries and renegades, while the ones on Saiya were loyal to the Rehval regime, like you.”

“Right.”

“But this army officer that turned up, he was the key,” Zatte said.  She pointed her fork at Arracash for emphasis.  It was still clean, as she hadn’t even touched the food on her plate.  "I looked up his service record, and he had been disciplined _three times_ for dereliction of duty.   He kept bringing a handheld computer with him to his post and spent all his time playing around with it instead of doing his job.  Not that I blame him.   He was stuck guarding a warehouse full of heavy machinery for twelve hours.“

"Yeah,” Arracash said.

“So I snuck into his quarters and did some snooping.   I can turn invisible, I don’t know if I mentioned that.   You know what I found?”   Zatte didn’t bother waiting for an answer.    "Websites about Luffa.   He was a _fan_.“

"Okay?” Arracash said.  

“I can count on one hand the number of Saiyans I’ve met who actually _like_ Luffa,” Zatte said.   “Everyone else is jealous of her power.  So I went back and looked into some of the renegades.  This one guy, Okartish, I couldn’t find much on him, but the logs on his ship put him on Planet Albonine last year.  Luffa saved that planet a while back, and they held a big convention for her right around the time Okartish was in the area.  Luffa and I didn’t attend, of course, because we’d moved on from that sector, but I think Okartish _did_.   He didn’t try to attack the planet, so why else would he have gone except for some downtime?”

“So…?” Arracash asked.  

“I couldn’t connect the dots at first.   Okartish’s partner Yarrow _hated_ Luffa, I’ve learned that much.  But he was born on Saiya, and before he left the planet, he had made a lot of unpopular comments about the Rehval Dynasty.   No big surprise, a lot of Saiyan mercenaries are expatriates because they don’t like the monarchy, but Yarrow seems like more of a political exile.”

“Like Luffa’s mother,” Arracash suggested.  

“I still have to do some more digging, but I’ve found similar leanings with a lot of the other victims too.   They’re either pro-Luffa or anti-Rehval, or maybe both.  It makes me think the killer is actually an assassin, trying to silence viewpoints he doesn’t agree with.”

“Look, that’s great and all,” Arracash said, “but I think I’m gonna head back to my house.”

“Huh?   Why?” Zatte asked, as though awakened from a dream.  "I thought you were here to have breakfast with Luffa?“

"That was two hours ago,” Arracash said.   She pointed at her own empty bowl, and Zatte’s full plate.   “I’ve already eaten, and your food’s gone cold.  What’s keeping her?”

Zatte turned her head to the north, and smiled.  "She’s off training with Rehval.  Can you feel their _ki_?“

"Barely,” Arracash admitted.  "You sure she’s not taking a nap?  If that’s all the power she’s putting out, why bother?“

"They should have all the power they need,” Zatte said.  "It’s more of a matter of control.   They’re probably meditating, or something like that.“

Arracash looked toward the north, although the gesture was pointless.   Luffa was thousands of miles away, and neither she nor Zatte could see past the bulkhead of the yacht.  

"Don’t you _mind_?” Arracash finally said.

“Mind what?” Zatte asked.  

“I haven’t been married in a long time,” Arracash said.  It was still strange for Zatte to hear her say things like this, since Arracash looked almost as young as Luffa, despite being three times her age.  "But I think I’d be kind of sore if my husband went off to train and left me here to do all the busy work.  She could at least drop by and check in on you more.“

"There’s no time for that,” Zatte said.  "There’s a killer on the loose, and every second counts.   We’ve been in these kinds of situations before.  We’ll get the job done and make up for lost time later.“

"Yeah, but she’s still got you shuffling papers,” Arracash said.  "Seems like you got the bad end of the job.“

"Not at all!” Zatte assured her.  " _Anything_ I can do to support Luffa’s work is an sacred honor.   Besides, I have a stake in this too, and I think I’m getting pretty good at this investigation stuff.“

"Right,” Arracash said.  "Well, it’s probably none of my business anyway.  You being an alien and all, you’ve got different sensibilities.  I guess Luffa knows that better than I do by now.“

Zatte chuckled as she finally turned her attention to her meal.   "There’s some culture shock, sure,” she said.  "I’ve found it’s best to just roll with it sometimes.  Flexibility.  That’s the secret.“

"Huh.  Well, maybe I’m just old fashioned, but I think sometimes there’s no substitute for giving 'em a good earful.”  Arracash stood up from the table and pushed her seat in.  "You and Luffa ought to drop by sometime.  I guess after you’ve wrapped things up with this killer.“

"Sure,” Zatte said.

The old Saiyan took her leave, and for several minutes Zatte poked at her food.  At last, she decided to reheat it and finish it in her cabin, where she could check up on the ship’s computer to see how the database search was coming along.  

“ _Earful_ ,” she said with a bemused smile as she got up to head for the kitchen.   “What a _character_ she is…”

*******

* * *

_**[20 May 234 Before Age.  Planet Saiya.]** _

Eventually, Luffa and Rehval had settled into a semblance of routine.  They would meet up at their training ground before dawn and fly to the palace and back whenever they wanted to break for meals.  Before resuming their training, they would make out.  

Kissing had given way to heavy petting, which Luffa doubted was part of any friendly greeting between Dorluns.   Their clothes had stayed on, except for Rehval’s shirt, but it was Luffa’s fault for tearing it off of him in the heat the moment.  

There wasn’t really a clear stopping point for what they were doing.   Rehval seemed to take Luffa’s cues, and so she pulled herself away from him whenever she felt they had gone too far or  for too long.  Eventually, they would get up and continue working on Luffa’s technique, but for now they were lying on the ground, staring at the first stars in the evening sky.   Rehval was still holding her hand.

She didn’t know why she was doing this.  On some level, she wanted to believe that some outside influence had compromised her will, but she had experienced that before, and this was different.   While she didn’t truly understand it, she knew she was acting of her own accord.

Saiyans were as passionate in romance as they were about everything else, but they were loathe to express romantic feelings with anyone except a like-minded partner.  So the hard part was _finding_ that partner and waiting for one or the other to admit their feelings first.  Someone had to “break the ice”, and someone had to show the proper respect to the icebreaker for making such a magnanimous gesture.  

Luffa’s mother used to joke that Saiyans were only monogamous because they couldn’t bear the humiliation of breaking the ice more than once.   Luffa believed it.   She had been the icebreaker with her first spouse, her husband Kandai.   Confessing her love for him had been an excruciating ordeal, but she endured it because she thought he felt the same way about her, and she believed it was worth the humiliation to spare him the trouble.   Instead, he repaid her gesture with treachery, abandoning her and their unborn son to a merciless enemy.  

After that, she had a few dalliances with various aliens who struck her fancy.   They weren’t Saiyans, and they neither knew nor cared that there was ice to be broken.  It was easier to deal with them and each of them gave her a measure of comfort after Kandai’s betrayal.   Comfort, but not fulfillment.  

Then there was Zatte, who broke the ice herself.  She had done so under the influence of a demonic possession, but she the feelings were still sincere.  Luffa had even read her mind and witnessed the depth of Zatte’s affection for herself.  From then on, Luffa had resolved to be worthy of Zatte’s love confession, even if Zatte herself didn’t consider it that big of a deal.   

Only here, _now_ , she was with Rehval III, the enigmatic King of the Saiyans who swore that he wasn’t Luffa’s enemy, and allowed her to read his mind to confirm it.  She scoured his mind in search of some trick, some secret agenda, but all she found was a fragile infatuation he had for her.   He _admired_ her, he found her _attractive_ , he was _fascinated_ with her.  It wasn’t quite the same as Zatte’s feelings, but they were just as strong, and no less genuine.

At first, she had tried to pretend she hadn’t experienced this, in order to spare him any embarrassment.   But he knew that she knew, and unlike most Saiyans, he _wasn’t_ ashamed to discuss it with her.  He acknowledged and respected her marriage, but he refused to deny what he felt.  And somehow, that just made things even worse.

The truth that Luffa couldn’t quite bring herself to realize, was that she felt an certain obligation to return Rehval’s affections.  It didn’t feel right to experience his feelings firsthand, only to abandon him the way Kandai had abandoned her.  If she didn’t find Rehval attractive herself, or if she hadn’t read his mind, then things might have been different, and she could have spurned him without feeling dishonest about it.  Or, if Luffa had been single, she could have simply pursued a relationship with Rehval without remorse.  

Other life forms might have resolved this dilemma more easily or, if they could not, would have shared their problem and sought advice from someone else.   But Luffa was too proud to share such a personal and intimate crisis.   No alien could understand how conflicted she felt.   No other Saiyan could relate to the complications brought about by her Super Saiyan empathy.  And so, Luffa’s heart was caught like a piece of cobalt suspended between two magnets, pulled in opposite directions and unable to move forward or back.  

But the rest of Luffa _could_ still move, and so eventually, when her guilt over betraying her wife outweighed her guilt over ignoring Rehval, she excused herself to return to her ship.  

“I was hoping you could stay a little longer,” Rehval said.  "There are some constellations I’d like to show you, but the sky isn’t quite dark enough yet.“

"Some other time,” Luffa said.   She flew away before he could press the issue.   There was always some sort of negotiation with the man.   One last thing, one more reason to stick around.   She had seen starry skies her entire life.   If they had been so important to him, they could have flown a few hundred miles to the east and the sky would have been dark enough.   What was the point?

The point was that he probably would have had his hand on her hip as he pointed the constellations out to her.  The point was that his lips might have brushed against her ear as he whispered the stories behind their names…

She wanted to stay, there was no use in denying it, but she wanted to see Zatte that much more.   This Saiyan-hunter business had kept her apart from her wife for too long.  She missed that strange, alien fire that burned green in Zatte’s eyes.   She missed the way Zatte would talk to her like they were still teenage friends, only to suddenly shift and start admiring her like a demigoddess.  She missed the way Zatte would boss her around on her own ship.  

But when she arrived and went aboard her star-yacht, she found it was empty.   The service robot, PB-2 delivered a message briefly explaining Zatte’s departure, but Luffa paid little attention.  She went to the ship’s gymnasium, lay down on the pile of mats she used as a bed, and stared at the ceiling while she waited to fall asleep.  

*******

* * *

_**[21 May 234 Before Age.  Planet Saiya.]** _

One of Zatte’s theories about the Saiyan-killer was that he would be unaccustomed to Planet Saiya’s higher gravity.   She had applied this deduction to her search for the killer’s hideout, thinking that the killer would sleep in a place with artificial gravity, like the hold of a starship.   But the killer’s latest victims were discovered hundreds of miles from any spaceport, so Zatte had turned her investigation to the killer’s mode of transportation.  

Vehicles were uncommon on Saiya, since the Saiyans were capable of flight, but alien visitors made use of them on occasion.  Zatte herself had checked out a one-person air-skiff from the royal motor pool, but she doubted that the killer would have done the same.   King Rehval’s administrators were very thorough about keeping inventory, and Zatte had found no irregularities in their records.  

But one of the victims had been found in a privately owned vehicle.  The owner, Finule, was the liason between the Saiyan government and the corps of alien bureaucrats who managed administrative business.  Zatte had only met her a few times, but she knew Finule was a busy woman, so it was possible that the killer used her car to get around the planet, knowing that Finule wouldn’t be around to miss it.   Zatte decided to take a closer look.

She went to Finule’s home in secret.   While King Rehval had given Zatte authority to go wherever she needed to go to pursue her investigation, she felt it was better to use stealth.  She didn’t fully trust the Saiyans, even if they were all on the same side in this, and Finule might not appreciate Zatte searching her property.  

All Dorluns were born with a unique power, which was activated at adolescence.   Zatte’s ability was to manipulate energy, including _ki_ energy.   Her main use of this power was to mask her own _ki_ signature to hide from potential threats.  Similarly, she could refract light and other electromagnetic radiation around her own body to become invisible.  She used this ability on the air-skiff as well, but to be safe, she landed it several miles from Finule’s homestead, and traveled the rest of the way on foot.  Hiking under ten times normal gravity was hard enough, but maintaining her energy camouflage at the same time made the journey especially grueling.   Still, Luffa had wanted her to train under these kinds of conditions, so Zatte tried to use that as motivation.  

She knew the killer was a Dorlun like herself, which meant he had a unique ability of his own.   It was likely that he had been using it to move around on the planet undetected, just as she was doing now.   With any luck, she could find out what that power was, which would give her an advantage in the event of a confrontation.   As she employed her own powers to thwart the electronic lock on Finule’s garage, she thought about how another Dorlun with different abilities might have done the same.   

She spent a little over an hour looking over the car and everything else in the garage.   Then, as she was just about to take a third look in the trunk, she sensed two large powers heading toward her.   She looked around to make sure she had left no sign of her intrusion, and then she sought cover beneath a work bench and focused all of her power on concealing her presence.  

Zatte had made sure to reset the lock on the door so no one would notice it had been bypassed, but when Finule arrived, she didn’t even bother with it.   The Saiyan merely ripped the entire door off its hinges and tossed it aside like an unwanted postcard.  Zatte had also left the lights off, since her ability to bend light rays also enabled her to see extremely well in the dark.   But Finule turned on the lights much more quickly than she had anticipated, and Zatte was momentarily dazed by the sudden illumination.  

For a moment, Zatte wondered if this was really Finule, as she seemed to be acting more like an intruder than the garage’s owner.  "Come on, come on!“ the Saiyan muttered as she yanked several items out of a large toolbox.    

Just when it seemed that she had finally found what she was after, the second Saiyan entered the garage.  He was tall like Finule, but much bulkier than her wiry frame.  His uniform was unfamiliar to Zatte, though its royal blue color indicated allegiance to the Saiyan crown.  The helmet obscured the Saiyan’s entire head, revealing only a glimpse of his eyes through a red lens.  He had no tail.  

"Finule,” he said.   “You have been reassigned to the Honor Guard.   You will report for duty immediately.”

“Yes, of course,” she said as she turned to face him.   Zatte wasn’t sure what was going on, but she was reasonably sure Finule was no match for the other Saiyan.   She had never heard of the Honor Guard, but it seemed strange that Finule would be assigned to it.   Finule was an administrative head, not a military officer, and she had never been very subtle about her contempt for the government.

Whatever she had taken from the toolbox, she had hidden it behind her back, beneath the long shocks of black hair that hung from the back of her scalp.  It looked more to Zatte like this man had been chasing her, and she was stalling for time.  

“I would have gotten there eventually,” Finule said.  She approached him and held out her empty hand.   “I just needed to drop by my place and get my things.  I could use a hand if you have time.”

The helmeted Saiyan grabbed her by the wrist and she winced in pain.  "You will report for duty immediately,“ he insisted.  

” _Owww_!  Okay, okay!“ she whined.   "There’s no need to–”

And then she brought out her other hand and struck him on the shoulder with a metallic cylinder.   Zatte heard a pneumatic _hiss_ , similar to a device she had seen used for administering drugs into the bloodstream, and the helmeted Saiyan stumbled backward.   

_“Did you think I was stupid?!”_ Finule shouted.   She held up the device and shook it  as she pointed to it with her other hand.   “Did you think I would have come to this planet without a backup plan?  I knew Rehval was strong, and his goons would be strong too, stronger than me by a wide margin!   That’s why I got in touch with a friend of mine before I moved to this planet.   An assassin!”

Zatte swallowed hard.   Had Finule been the killer all along?  Only a Dorlun could have supplied the poison found in the victims’ bodies, but if Finule had gotten them from someone else, then–!

“I don’t know much about the Honor Guard,” Finule gloated, “but I know _enough_ to want no part of them!  You thought you’d strong-arm me into joining you, but it’s not always about raw strength, idiot!  Right now, there’s enough thallium in your bloodstream to kill _ten_ Saiyans, and enough arsenic to kill five _more_!”

The helmeted Saiyan dropped to one knee and started to convulse.   Zatte observed him carefully.   If Finule was telling the truth, then she _couldn’t_ have been the killer Zatte was looking for, because the killer used a toxin derived from Dorlun proteins.   Thallium and arsenic salts were minerals that could be found on almost any planet–

“And even if you managed to survive all _that_ ,” Finule added, “you’ll still be too sick to stop me.   By the time your buddies come looking for me, I’ll be halfway to the nearest spaceport.   I should have _known_ this planet was too good to be true.   You can’t trust any Saiyan these days!”

Zatte wanted to reveal herself and ask what was going on, but she didn’t dare.   Finule had been professional with her before, but now she was desperate and afraid.  If Zatte tried to talk to her now, there was a good chance Finule would kill her, if only to cover her tracks.  It was better to watch and wait.   She could learn more about the Honor Guard from the helmeted Saiyan after he died.   Surely there would be a clue somewhere in his uniform, and–

He was beginning to get back on his feet.  

Zatte wanted to warn Finule, mostly out of sympathy, but she couldn’t take the chance.  Finule had turned her back to the man and was busy reloading whatever device she had used to poison him.   By the time she noticed him, he was already standing up.  

“What the hell?” Finule gasped.   “That’s impossible!”

“You will report for duty, Guardswoman Finule,” he said.  The Saiyan was a little unsteady on his feet, but he was very much alive, and his _ki_ was as potent as it had been when Zatte first sensed him.   Finule’s poison might have hurt him, but not enough to save herself.  

“What did they _do_ to you?!” Finule screamed.   Now thoroughly terrified, she forgot the difference in their powers, and fired a _ki_ blast directly at him.  Zatte drew back as far under the work bench as she could to shield herself.   Though she was out of the line of fire, she could still feel the intense head of Finule’s attack.  When she thought it was safe, she peeked out again, and saw that half of the garage had been vaporized.   The car and her tools had been reduced to half-molten scrap.

But the helmeted Saiyan still remained.  

“Dereliction will not be tolerated,” he said as he stepped towards her.  

Finule looked at the device in her hand, then back at her foe.    For a moment, Zatte wondered if she would try to use it on him a second time, and then she saw Finule raise the device up to her own neck, and Zatte nearly cried out with horror.   

“I won’t let you bastards take me!” she shouted.   Zatte could see tears in the woman’s eyes, but her hand never wavered.   If the helmeted Saiyan understood what she was doing, he made no attempt to stop her.    He simply kept walking steadily towards her.  

And then the end of the device touched Finule’s throat, and Zatte heard the _hiss_ once again.   As terrible as it was, Zatte forced herself to watch as Finule collapsed to the floor of her ruined garage.   Though the poison had done nothing to the helmeted Saiyan, it seemed to have been quite effective on her.  

But the helmeted Saiyan didn’t stop.   Instead, he simply knelt down and scooped Finule’s body into his massive arms.    

“Dereliction will not be tolerated,” he said to no one.  

Zatte concentrated with her powers, and found that there was still a small trace of Finule’s life energy, but it was fading quickly.   Did the Honor Guard have some means to save her?  Or was he bringing her body back to his superiors to prove that she was dead?

And then he flew into the air and headed back in the direction from which he came.   Zatte waited several minutes under the work bench, keeping herself completely invisible until she was certain that the danger had passed.  

Once she was certain it was safe to do so, she started hiking back to her air-skiff and began figuring out how she would explain all this to Luffa.

**NEXT: The First Duty**


	86. Chapter 86

_**[23 May 234 Before Age.  Planet Saiya.]** _

“That’s it,” Zatte said.   “I’m almost positive that’s where the killer originated from.”

On the bridge of their star-yacht, Luffa looked at the star chart displayed on the main viewer and shrugged.  On one end was the Saiya system, represented by a small white dot.   Dozens of other star systems were marked with various symbols and notations, and many of them were connected by lines of various different colors.   Most of these lines wandered out across the map, only to curl back toward Saiya, stopping short at a solar system relatively close to it.  

“How did you work all this out?” Luffa asked.  

“There’s a ship on Saiya registered to one of the killer’s victims, a Saiyan named Yarrow,” Zatte said.   “By the time I found out about it, the ship had already been abandoned, but the navigational logs were still in tact.   From the planet where Yarrow’s body was discovered, the ship went to four other systems, and each one reported at least one dead Saiyan.”

Luffa waved her finger at the map, as though tracing the route.  "That only gets you part of the way,“ she said.  

"Right, but I played a hunch.   I traced the same ship’s itinerary before Yarrow died, and found other victims along the way.  The pattern breaks down here, where a Saiyan named Okartish was discovered dead.   Turns out he and Yarrow were partners.”

“Are you saying this guy stowed away on Yarrow’s ship for months without anyone noticing?”

“It seems that way,” Zatte said.  "Look, we’re having a hard time finding him now that he’s here on Saiya, so it’s no surprise that he can cover his tracks.   He must have some way to hide his presence, even while he’s aboard a spaceship as small as Yarrow’s.“

"You think he can turn invisible like you?” Luffa asked.  

“I doubt it,” Zatte said.  "I could mask my life energy and hide on this ship for a long time if I needed to.   But I’d need food and other necessities.  Plus, a ship’s life support systems would detect the extra oxygen consumption from a stowaway.  I might be able to hack the ship’s computer to falsify the readings, but that would mean sneaking out of my hiding place to do it.   Sooner or later I’d give myself away.  And on a smaller ship like Yarrow’s, it’d be that much harder for me to move around without being noticed.“

"So how’s he doing it?” Luffa asked.   “We know he’s a Dorlun because of the poison he’s using, and each Dorlun has special abilities.  What can this guy do?”

“It could be a lot of things,” Zatte said.   “Keda could shape-shift, which works a lot better for stowing away.   She hid among the Tikosi for months, right?  I don’t think I could have managed that long.   She probably spent a lot of that time making her body as small as possible.”

“Then maybe this guy’s a shape-shifter like Keda,” Luffa said.  

“Not necessarily,” Zatte said.   “He might have some sort of telepathic power.  Your eyes might be able to see him, but he can prevent your mind from perceiving his presence.  Or maybe he had some way to go into a dormant state.   That way he could hide in the cargo hold without food or water.”

“This is too complicated,” Luffa groaned.  

“For all we know, the killer might not have _hidden_ aboard Yarrow’s ship at all,” Zatte added.  "He may have paid Yarrow for passage, and made sure his name stayed off the ship’s passenger records.“

"But if he’s been using his own victims for transportation,” Luffa said, “then he’s been leaving a trail all along.”

“Well, nothing obvious,” Zatte said.  "It’s taken me days to piece together all the victims with spaceships they might have used or owned.   I know you’re not a big fan of King Rehval’s brand of diplomacy, but a lot of these murders took place in a lot of different jurisdictions.    If Rehval hadn’t established relations with so many of them, I might not have been able to get all the data I needed.“

"It doesn’t matter,” Luffa harrumphed.  "Once my technique is put into action, we’ll find the killer no matter where he’s hiding.“

"Maybe,” Zatte said, “but you needed Rehval to make that work too, right?”

Luffa rolled her eyes.  "He has his uses,“ she admitted.  Before Zatte could tease her about this, she turned her attention back to the map.  "So you backtracked the killer to this system, but what good does that do us?”

“Maybe nothing,” Zatte said, “but if the trail goes back any further, I might be able to find out something about him that we can use.  I won’t know until I go there and see for myself.”

“You want to take the ship and leave Saiya?” Luffa asked.  

“Sure,” Zatte said.  "It’ll only take a day to get there.“  

"But Planet Saiya would be at the killer’s mercy while we’re gone!” Luffa objected.  

“That’s why _we’re_ not going,” Zatte said.   “You’re staying behind.”

"You want to go _alone_?!” Luffa asked.  

“Luffa, it’ll only be for a few days.   A week at most.   You’ve gone on training retreats longer than that.”

“But the whole point of you investigating was so the killer would try to come after you,” she said.  "If the bait leaves the planet, then there’s no trap.“

"Let’s face it,” Zatte said.  "If he was going to try to attack me he would have done it by now.  Either he doesn’t see me as a threat, or he knows it’s a trap.  At least if I leave the planet for a while, it might make him wonder what I’m up to.   He might get nervous enough to make a mistake.“

"What the hell am I supposed to do while you’re gone?” Luffa asked.  

“The same thing you’ve _been_ doing, dummy,” Zatte said.  "Try to catch the killer with that technique of yours.   And try to find out something about this ‘Honor Guard’.“

"I already did,” Luffa said.  "They’re just an elite squad in the Saiyan military.  They handle special missions, things like that.“

"Then why would they recruit a civil servant like Finule?”  Zatte asked.  There must be hundreds of Saiyans who were stronger or more qualified, and she was willing to die before letting hem take her.“

"You can always _get_ stronger,” Luffa said.  "They probably have a harsh training regimen, and she got cold feet.   She was just being cowardly, that’s all.  It happens, even to Saiyans.“

Zatte wasn’t satisfied with this at all.  "Look, if you think that’s all it is, then so be it.  Finding the killer is what matters now, but don’t whine about being bored if you manage to tackle him early.   Take in a show.  Spend some time with your grandmother.”

“Oh _that_ sounds like fun,” Luffa groaned.  

“You’ll live,” Zatte said.  "If it gets too dull, you can always conquer the planet.  Hey, what’s the matter?“  

"It’s just… I don’t know.  Be careful out there, Zattie.  Okay?”

“I’m always careful,” Zatte said.  "But for you, I’ll be even _more_ careful.   How’s that?“

*******

* * *

_**[24 May 234 Before Age.  Planet Saiya.]** _

Less than an hour after Zatte’s departure from the planet, Luffa went to the capital citadel to find King Rehval.   By now, the palace staff had grown accustomed to her frequent visits.  They still stank of fear and loathing whenever she passed them in the corridors, but they no longer asked her to identify herself or make appointments.  She waited in his bedroom for five minutes, and when he appeared at the doorway he walked up and seized her in a powerful embrace–one arm around her back, the other gripping her upper thigh.  

” _There_ you are,“ he said triumphantly.  He hoisted her up until they were at eye-level to one another.  

She planted her hands on either side of his head and pulled until they were close enough to give him a passionate kiss.  As their lips finally parted, she bit his lower lip, drawing a tiny trickle of blood.  He feigned outrage, and tossed her onto the bed.  

Over time, Rehval had learned to indulge Luffa like this.   At first, he had been very respectful about kissing her, almost to the point of being submissive.  This was customary among Saiyans, as she was the stronger of the two, but she had always enjoyed the way her late husband Kandai would handle her, back when she was far weaker.   It pleased her to see that Rehval could pull it off.   It wasn’t about physical power, she supposed.   Rehval was far stronger than Kandai had ever been, and he was a monarch as well.   He was used to projecting authority, in a way that Kandai could have only approximated with strength.  So it was just a matter of getting him to stop being so damned polite to her.   He was putting his tongue down her throat, not negotiating a trade agreement.  

Even so, he still knew when to back off.  Their make-out sessions would end the same way every time.  Eventually, her guilt over betraying Zatte would surpass the thrill she got from him, and she would gently push him away.  He never questioned her about this, and if he understood, he never mentioned it.  He simply respected her boundaries like a true diplomat.   It made her wonder what would happen if he _didn’t_ respect this.   What if he wanted to press the issue?  Would she kill him for his insolence?   Would he try to persuade her to take things further than they already had   Would she give in to temptation and betray her wife more than she already had?

"Shall we go?” Rehval asked pleasantly.  Normally they would head to the mountains to train at this point.  

“Yeah,” Luffa said.  "I think we’re almost ready to try this thing out.“

"You still haven’t named your technique?” Rehval asked.  He rose from the bed and fetched a new shirt from his wardrobe.   Luffa had a nasty habit of shredding them during their more intimate moments.  

“What’s the point?” Luffa asked.  

“The point is that you have something to call it,” Rehval said.  "When you and I find this killer, I want to tell my subjects how we did it.   That’d be easier if I didn’t have to keep calling it 'Luffa’s New Technique, the One Where She Spreads Out Her _Ki_ Energy Across the Whole Planet While We Sense For Any Unusual Activity.“

"Fine, you name it then,” Luffa said.  

“ _You_ developed it,” Rehval said.  "The honor is yours.“

Luffa rolled her eyes and shook her head.   After a moment of consideration, she finally said: "Golden Duster.”

Rehval paused putting on his shirt as he appeared to digest the name carefully.   “We should workshop that,” he said.

Luffa threw up her hands in annoyance.  

*******

* * *

Hours later, at their training ground, Luffa and Rehval watched the stars come out in the night sky.  The air was cold, but she barely noticed thanks to how closely he was holding her.  

“That’s the Pflaume system,” he whispered into her ear as he pointed to a faint point of light that had just become visible as dusk gave way to night.   “That’s where my villa is.  I’d like to show it to you sometime.”

“You already showed it to me,” Luffa replied.  

“That was a hologram,” Rehval said.   “I want you to experience the real thing.   The sounds, the smells…”

He might have added “ _touch_ ”, but instead he gently caressed the side of her neck with his lower lip, and she found this far more persuasive.  

“But we can discuss that later.  I’ve kept you here for too long,” Rehval said.  "You probably want to get back to your ship.“

"No, it’s all right,” Luffa said.  "Zatte took the ship into space.  I’m staying with my grandmother until she gets back.“

Earlier, she had resolved not to tell him any of this.   He didn’t need to know, after all.  Yet somehow, something about the way he held her and the sound of his voice caused her to forget her mistrust.  

"She left the planet?” Rehval asked.  "Why?“

"Chasing down a lead on the killer,” Luffa said.  "Not that it’ll matter.  You and I should have him cornered by the time she gets back.  

“Then why don’t you stay at the palace until she returns?” Rehval asked.  

She took a deep breath and released it as a long sigh.  

“I take it that’s a 'no’,” Rehval said.

“ _Maybe_ ,” Luffa said.  "Let’s focus on the Saiyan-killer, and _then_ we’ll worry about sleeping arrangements.“

"Fair enough.”  Rehval released her and rose to a standing position.    

“Where are you going?” Luffa asked.  "I told you, I can stick around a while longer.“

"Yes, but unfortunately, I have some business to handle back at the citadel.   I can either put in a long night or get up early to take care of it before we meet up.    Either way, I need to get moving.”

“Business?” Luffa asked.  

“It’s a state secret,” Rehval said.  "I’d need to arrange a security clearance for you.   Maybe if you and your wife choose to stay on Saiya for a while, we could make that happen.  You’ve proven to be a great help to the kingdom.  Both of you.“

"One thing at a time,” Luffa said.   “I’ll see you at 0900 tomorrow.”

“Of course,” Rehval said.   As he floated into the air, he waved good bye and made that damned wink that she found so endearing and smarmy at the same time.  

“Don’t be late!” Luffa called out to him.  

“I wouldn’t dare,” Rehval replied with a smile.   “I know how much you hate to be kept waiting.”

 

******* 

* * *

"Where _is_ he?!”

By 1000 hours, Citadel Time, Luffa was in General Ratijio’s office, threatening to wreck his furniture.  The general was the strongest Saiyan in the royal military, and unaccustomed to dealing with such a tantrum.   Typically, he would have killed any Saiyan who dared to barge into his office and make such a racket, but Luffa was far from typical, and he knew it.  

“I don’t know!” he pleaded.    

Without really meaning to, he glanced at the most valuable object in the room, the palladium medal awarded to him by King Rehval II for his fortieth year of service.  The display case hung on a wall just beyond his reach.  It was a simple tactical assessment.   His territory (office) had been occupied by a superior force (a Super Saiyan), and since he couldn’t give the invader what she wanted (the king’s location), she would sack his domain to vent her frustrations.  All he could do now was try to minimize the damage.  He couldn’t hide his medals now, but if he could keep her attention on his desk or one of the file cabinets…

Then Luffa went straight for the display case.  He raised his hand, although he had no idea what good it would do, but before he could even move, she had torn it down from the wall and moved back to her position in front of the door.  He didn’t think any Saiyan could move so quickly.  He thought that she had to use her golden-haired form to tap into that kind of ability.

“Do I have your attention _now_?” Luffa demanded.  She broke the case apart in her hands and let the pieces fall to the floor.  Then, she knelt down and picked up the palladium medal he had been so worried about.  

For a moment, he wondered how she knew that one was so important to him.  Then he realized that she wasn’t just _faster_ than any other Saiyan; she had actually caught the movements of his eyes, and noticed what he had been looking at.  She was a _monster_ , and the king had welcomed her into the heart of his kingdom.   Worse, he had actually begun having some sort of an affair with her.   And _now_ , the king, in his infinite temerity, had _stood her up_.  

“Luffa,” Ratijio said, trying to maintain what little composure he had left.    "He’s the king.  He doesn’t _tell_ me where he goes, but I can try to find out if, you’ll just–!“

"I’ve been trying to _find_ him for the last hour!” Luffa snarled.  I can’t sense his _ki_ , he’s not in the palace, and none of his staff have seen him since yesterday.“

"What about that technique you’ve been developing with him?” he asked.   “I thought you could find anyone.”

“Oh, I’m coming to that, don’t worry,” Luffa said.  "The point is, he _agreed_ to meet me at the palace this morning, and he isn’t there.  Finding him isn’t as important as knowing _why_ he isn’t where he said he’d be.   We’re supposed to be tracking down that Saiyan-killer today!“

Ratijio swallowed hard.  "Are you saying that the king is–?”

“I showed you how Golden Duster works, General,” Luffa said.  "I saturate an area with my own power, and sense for any movements within that field.  It’s for finding people who might be concealing their own _ki_ , but it won’t work on a corpse!“

"He… he _can’t_ be dead!” Ratijio said.  "The Honor Guard would never–!“

Faster than he could register the movement, Luffa grabbed him by the chest of his uniform, lifted him out of his chair, over the desk, and slammed him against a wall, upside down.  The sheer speed of this action was made even more astonishing by the fact that she did it all with one hand.  

"The Honor Guard.   Let’s talk about _them_ , shall we?” Luffa said with a sneer.   “They’re under _your_ command, right?”

She was still clutching the medal in her free hand.   Ratijio found that he kept glancing at it, even as he knew that he had to focus his attention on Luffa.   He couldn’t afford to make her any angrier than she already was.  

“No,” he said.   “They report directly to the King!   They’re his secret police–”

“Secret police?!” Luffa roared.   “What does a _Saiyan_ king need _that_ for?!”

In spite of his predicament, Ratijio made a knowing smirk.  "You really _are_ a back country yokel, aren’t you?“  he said.   "I thought it was just an act to fool people, but you really– ARRGH!”

Luffa’s fingers suddenly charged with _ki_ , and he felt a surge of pain in his chest.  

“Dumb it down for me, then,” she said darkly.  

“Fine, _fine!”_ he gasped.  "You might think a Saiyan king should rule by strength alone, but Rehval isn’t interested in merely _ruling_ the Saiyans!  He wants to redefine our very _culture_!  The Honor Guard doesn’t just suppress dissent, they enforce Rehval’s vision of how the people should behave!“

"Then why would they recruit a file clerk like Finule?” Luffa asked.  "The way I hear it, she was no fan of the regime.“

"Finule?” Ratijio asked.  "So they finally took her, did they?  I didn’t know, but I’m not surprised.  She talked too much.   Sooner or later someone was going to shut her up.“

"Then why not just kill her and be done with it?” Luffa asked.  

“To use her for–!”  But he couldn’t finish the sentence.   He knew the information was classified, and that he wasn’t supposed to share it with an outside like Luffa, but now he found that he literally _couldn’t_ tell.  It was as if the words had been trapped in his throat.

“Use her for what?!” Luffa demanded.  She charged her fingers with _ki_ once more, and he convulsed with pain.  

“They probably took her to–!” he tried to say, but rephrasing his answer made no difference.  

Ratijio had never tried to betray state secrets before.  This wasn’t a matter of honor or loyalty, but fear of Rehval’s immense physical strength.   But Rehval was missing, and Luffa was _here,_ and far stronger than Rehval could ever hope to be, and this alone made a very compelling case for treason.  Only he _couldn’t_ go through with it, and Luffa was rapidly losing what little patience she had left…

“You know, I could just rip the answers out of your mind,” Luffa said.  

“I’m _trying_ to tell you, but something is–!” Ratijio began to say.   This time he stopped himself from finishing his sentence.  He knew Luffa wouldn’t believe him, since he hardly believed it himself.  

She flung him to the other side of the room, where he crashed to the floor.  Ratijio had the physical might to at least soften his landing, but he didn’t want to risk antagonizing Luffa any more than he already had.   As soon as he was able, he glanced to her hand to find his medal was still in tact.  Even as he did so, he wondered why that should still matter to him.

“Don’t bother,” Luffa said.  She approached him, reaching for his face with her empty hand.  "I’ve wasted enough time on you already.   I should probably use both hands, so before we get started…“

She held up the medal and closed her fist, crushing it into a chunk of twisted metal.  Then she flung out her arm, launching it like a mortar bomb through the window of his office.   Ratijio was horrified to see this, although he still couldn’t understand why.  

And then suddenly, he felt something snap inside him.  There was an intense pain in his head, like something was trying to smash its way out of his skull, and he clutched at his face as he curled up into a fetal position.   He heard an undignified scream, and eventually realized that it was coming from his own mouth.   It was so excruciating that he completely forgot the angry Super Saiyan standing over him.

"What the hell is the matter with you?” she asked, though her voice sounded distant to him, as though she were calling to him from across a great chasm.  

And then the pain simply _stopped_.  Ratijio opened his eyes and looked at the palms of his hands, unsure if it was safe to move or speak.  He gasped with relief, and slowly rose to one knee, until Luffa grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him to his feet.  

“It was the medal,” he said quietly.  "Damn his eyes, he did it to me just like all the rest!“

"What are you babbling about now?” Luffa asked.  

He noticed she had raised one of her fists and he quickly held up his hands in supplication.  "Wait, don’t!“ he pleaded.  "I’ll tell you everything!”

*******

* * *

For lack of anywhere better to go, Luffa took General Ratijio to her grandmother’s house.   King Rehval III had now been missing for over four hours.   While Luffa concentrated her senses on finding any trace of his _ki_ , Arracash served him all the steamed vegetables he could eat.

“You don’t see brassicas like that anywhere else on Saiya, now do you?” Arracash bragged.  "You’d probably think they were imported, but I grew them right here in my garden.“

"They are impressive,” Ratijio said between bites.  

“The secret is the molybdenum powder I sprinkle into the soil,” Arracash went on.   “Any idiot knows to use fertilizer in this sort of climate, but they don’t know to do their homework.  Sure, they can grow some crops, but if they don’t pay attention to the micronutrients, you won’t have much to show for it on the dinner table.”

“I see,” Ratijio said absently.  

“Now, the iron levels in the soil here aren’t a problem, but you still have to keep an eye on the others.  Boron, zinc.  Manganese.  A lot of people don’t even know what that is.”

“If you two are through talking about _gardening_ ,” Luffa growled, “I’d like to go over what you told me, General.”

He swallowed hard at the sound of that.  "I’ve told you everything I know,“ he insisted.  

"Yeah, and most of it was stuff I already learned from reading Rehval’s mind,” Luffa said.  "His father, Rehval the Second, was an alchemist.   He used witchcraft– or whatever you want to call it– to hold onto his throne and defeat his enemies.   He even used it on loyal officers like you, like that medal he enchanted to keep you in line in case you ever tried to turn against him.“

"He kept his powers a secret,” Ratijio grumbled, “but rumors began to circulate.   Some of us in the military began to suspect he had some sort of influence over people.  I didn’t know for certain until you crushed that medal.  For the last five years, I’ve treated it like a prized possession and never knew why.”

“Well, the only trouble I have with that story is that Rehval II is _dead_ ,” Luffa said.  "Rehval III found out about his secret alchemy lab and killed his father in disgust.  Only it looks like he didn’t bother to track down all the talismans and potions his dad left behind.“

"Why should he bother?” Ratijio muttered.  "The current king may not have approved of his father’s methods, but he still benefits from the results.  The spell I was under made me loyal to their whole dynasty.   It’s the same with the Honor Guard.   I’m sure they’re under some sort of enchantment to ensure their absolute obedience.  That’s why I say the king must still be alive.   If he died, the Honor Guard would immediately install his successor.“

"Who would that be?” Luffa asked.  

“Don’t be an idiot, girl,” Arracash said.  "Obviously one of the king’s children would assume the throne.“

” _Obviously_ ,“ Luffa replied, "except Rehval _has_ no children.”

“Of course he does,” Ratijio said.  "The king is many things, but he’s no fool.   To rule over Saiya without an heir would jeopardize everything his house has ever worked for.“

"That’s impossible!” Luffa insisted.  

“Why?” Ratijio scoffed.  "Did you really think you were the first woman he ever fancied?“

Normally, such a cutting and personal remark would have embarrassed her.   Her involvement with Rehval had been confusing enough before the General accidentally walked in on them in the middle of an embrace.  He had kept quiet about it, but now that he was finally speaking up, Luffa was too shocked to be self-conscious.  

” _You_ and the _king_?!“ Arracash blurted out.  

"I guess you really didn’t know,” Ratijio said with a snort.   “His Majesty’s quite the charmer, isn’t he?   Probably convinced you that you were the only one he had ever loved.   Well, I hate to be the one to break it to you, but it’s just a line.  Once he’s satisfied, he’ll move on to someone else and tell her the same story.”

Luffa shook her head.  "I read his _mind_ ,“ she said.  "I didn’t find anything about children or other women or…”

“You must have skipped a few pages then,” Ratijio replied.  

Luffa’s eyes went wide, and she started taking quick, shallow breaths as she struggled to make sense of this.  Somehow, Rehval had thwarted her telepathic probe, and she had never even dreamed that this was possible.  In the past, others had resisted her mental powers, or fought back with psychic abilities of their own, but this was something altogether different.  

“Luffa, he’s telling the truth,” Arracash said.  Her grandmother had approached her and reached out with a sympathetic hand.   “The king keeps his children out of the public, but he’s held ceremonies to announce their births.  I attended one once–long story–but the food was lousy…”

But Luffa wasn’t listening to her.   Arracash and Ratijio probably thought she was upset over being deceived by a romantic partner, but that wasn’t it at all.  Like a witless amateur, Luffa had overestimated her own power.  She had assumed that a thorough telepathic interrogation would prove once and for all whether the king was friend or foe.   Everything she and Zatte had done since then was based on this faulty premise.   There could only be one explanation: Rehval had been manipulating them from the start.  

Her thoughts turned to Zatte, who was currently headed for a whole other star system.  Was that part of Rehval’s plan?  Was he luring Zatte into a trap, or was it just a way to remove Zatte from Planet Saiya while he put his true plan into effect?  

“Luffa, what are you doing?” Arracash asked.  

The old Saiyan had sensed Luffa’s _ki_ rising as she ruminated over her failure.  Without really thinking about it, Luffa raised her hand and slammed her fist into her own sternum.   Her jaw was clenched so tightly that her teeth hurt.  As usual whenever Luffa made a mistake, she could almost hear her dead mother’s voice scolding her in her mind.  Complacent!  The enemy was _right in front of her_.  Her wife, her closest _ally,_ had been right _beside_ her.  And what had _she_ done?!  She took both for granted, and now they were both gone.   She could have strangled Rehval last night and been done with this, but instead she held him in her arms, _tenderly_ , and let him whisper sweet nothings into her ear while they looked at the stars.  

“Luffa!  Not in the house!  You hear me?! _Not in the house!_ ”

In her rage, Luffa’s _ki_ had manifested like a miniature whirlwind.   Arracash was pleading for her to stop.  Just beneath Luffa’s skin, as always, was that _thing_.   Aside from a private demonstration for Rehval, she had kept _it_ contained during her visit to Planet Saiya.   Luffa wasn’t entirely sure why.  Maybe it was because she wanted to at least pretend to fit in with her own species.   While she had grown accustomed to her other form and accepted it as a part of herself, she still didn’t relish the idea of showing it off to her own kind, to revealing herself as this yellow-haired, green-eyed monstrosity.  

But now… Now that Rehval’s lies were exposed, now that General Ratijio was rushing out of the house in fear for his life, now that Luffa felt like she couldn’t make things any worse than they already were… _Now_ , she could see no reason to hold back.  

With a sharp cry, she released her power… released _herself_ , and came to a decision.

If Rehval wouldn’t deal with her directly, then she would just take the matter up with his precious planet.

* * *

_**NEXT: Behind the Throne** _


End file.
